help me survive here; open

[Angel Dawson]

ANGEL.DAWSON

Anxious hazel eyes shifted from side to side, surveying the room for an open seat among the small crowd of students. In the few weeks she'd been at Hammel, Annie hadn't yet stepped foot in the student lounge for fear of being swarmed by masses of other metas. Today, however, she decided to try it out since the rest of the school seemed busy. She would be able to avoid the majority of the student body here, if she was right about it being empty.

There were only about ten or so other Hammel attendees in the lounge, and barely any of them looked up at the door as the shy new girl walked in. There were more than she'd have liked, but it was somewhat quiet and seemed like a good place to get some reading done. When all else failed, one could always lose themselves in a good book if the world didn't feel right. And ever since she'd began to grow up and develop, Angel hasn't felt like the world was right for a single moment. In fact, she couldn't remember ever really being happy with her life since her days at her first orphanage with Liam. But, of course, he'd been adopted out and left her on her own with people who would never really like her. And he was only the first of many.

Practically running to the first chair available in the farthest corner of the room from everyone else, the fourteen-year-old girl plopped down, pulled her knees up to her chest, and propped her book open on her toes. She noticed, as she turned to the page with her bookmark, that her shoes were already getting tatty and frayed. The last family she'd lived with had bought them for her a couple of months ago before they realized they wouldn't be able to keep her and would have to place her back in the foster care system. Just like everyone else.

She made a mental note to get some duct tape later and fix the areas where the soul was coming apart. Ratty, ghetto-looking clothes were nothing new for Angel. In the homes, that's really all you ever got. Nobody donated cute clothes. You never really saw things that were still in style, or things that didn't have a zillion holes. The families she stayed with typically bought her some new clothes and accessories to make her feel more at home, but Angel rarely wore them. Being in second-hand attire for so long, she felt awkward in anything else. Though she did keep the coat, the shoes, and the purple scrunchie she was currently wearing from the Harris' house. She had really started to like them before she left.

Returning her attention back to her book, Annie picked up where she'd left off. She was nearly done with The Giver, a book she'd read in elementary school but had recently had the urge to reread it. It was a pretty good book, as far as dystopia novels went. Annie always feared the idea of a dystopian society, but had an interest in books about it. Being the scardy-cat she was, however, Annie could never read the books during the night hours. She was terrified of nearly everything, and had an extremely vivid imagination; the two combined meant she was unable to read books that frightened her when she wasn't bathed in light and relative comfort. Call it a side-effect of never being wanted, but the poor creature couldn't ever find real peace of mind these days.

After she got a couple paragraphs into the story, she heard movement and footsteps coming toward her. Tensing up, the young girl looked over the top of her book and saw someone coming her way. She froze; maybe they weren't coming over to talk to her. Oh God, maybe they were...should she try teleporting somewhere else? No, no; no use in running away if they probably weren't even coming over to talk to her in the first place right? She held her breath, hoping the other student would turn around and go somewhere else, or at least veer off to the side. She returned her eyes to the pages of The Giver, hoping if she looked busy she wouldn't be bothered.

Yeah. Right.

[/blockquote]

words; 723
outfit; CLICK.
muse; pretty good<3[/blockquote]

[Alice Halifax]

Silent was the word best used to describe Alice Halifax currently. She was alone, an unusual sight as of late, but there she was none the less, all alone without her dear Isabella to sit by her side. She wore a simple black skirt with flats and a light blue blouse top which sported long flowing sleeves. Large hoops hung from her ears and a small silver chain decorated her slender neck. In her hands was a small cellular device which Alice used to surf the 'net. She checked her e-mails over and over and then switched over to check some current events before growing ever board with the lack of nothing interesting going on in her current moment of life. With a huff, Alice shook her head, her golden hair bouncing about her face. It was getting hard to stay awake in such boredom. She supposed she could do some painting or sculpting but that meant changing clothes and that meant trekking all the way back to the dorms to do so and Alice just really wasn't in that much of a mood for all that busy work.

Alice glanced about the room finding no one of interest to bother or work over for some information. It was truly a day of boredom, however, things were soon about to change for the better. As Alice glanced about the room, a new face entered onto the stage. A rather young looking girl, early in her teens from Alice's best guess. She was homely and very ratty looking, someone whom Alice usually sneered at and then moved away from as fast as she could. However, new events in Alice's life begged her to give this poor thing a better once over. There was always a puppet needing a master somewhere and if Alice wasn't the one to pull this one's strings, no doubt some other manipulator would and she could not have that.

Slowly, Alice turned her cellular device over and over in her small petite hands while her eyes stayed locked on the urchin. The girl quickly made a break for the furthest chair from anyone in the room, huddling up in it as if it were a fortress. Her nose disappeared into a small book which in combination with her hasty entrance into the room meant this girl lacked any confidence or esteem. Perfect. Alice smiled as the gears began to turn in her head. Alice herself was pretty, well dressed, rich, and very popular, all the things this other girl was not. Intimidation was in Alice's favor and that would give her the edge in the conversation which was about to transpire.

Standing to her feet slowly and elegantly, Alice began to make her way across the room toward Angel. The conversation and meeting could be quick and uneventful or yet it could yield much fruit. Either way, the moment would pass time for Alice. Alice could swear she saw the girl look up over her book and then back down, as if she sensed Alice's approach. Alice quirked an eyebrow but continued her approach. As she neared Angel, Alice reached her hand out and grabbed a chair as she passed, dragging the small seat along beside her, causing some noise as she did so. Alice cared not who stared for garnering attention was her goal.

Dragging the chair in front of where Angel sat, Alice stopped and then sat down, crossing her legs and sitting back, making herself comfortable. "I'm Alice.....and who might you be little flower?," Alice asked, smiling that sly smile of hers. She would give Angel a moment or two to respond and if none were given, well....then Alice might have to make the little flower respond.

[Angel Dawson]

ANGEL.DAWSON

Genuinely not surprised that she wasn't able to go unnoticed, Annie bit her lips tightly as the approaching footsteps grabbed a chair and dragged it along behind them. The screech of the chair on the floor made the young girl wince; did they have no respect for those hoping for it to stay relatively quiet in here? Then again, it wouldn't surprise her if they didn't. In her few weeks here, Angel had seen people who honestly couldn't care less about others. Though surprisingly, she'd also met some who did seem to care. Her thoughts flashed to the girl she'd met in the courtyard and how she'd reacted to tripping over Angel.

Her thoughts were cut short, however, when a very pretty girl sat down in the chair in front of Angel. The older blond was the absolute opposite of Angel in almost every way humanly possible. She was dressed fashionable and rather classy, her blue shirt's and necklace catching Annie's eye for a moment. Her hair was neat and brushed to near perfection - something she could almost never say about her own rat's nest of a mane. The orphan definitely felt like a black sheep now, and one that was about to be eaten for lunch by a very pretty she-wolf.

The older girl introduced herself before asking Angel for her own name, which of course made her want to vomit. She hated talking to people; she couldn't stand meeting someone new, someone who wanted her to trust them. But regardless of this, she couldn't help but have the urge to introduce herself back. Maybe it was just politeness that compelled her, but Angel lowered The Giver from her face by a few fractions of an inch and looked at her companion. As usual, Annie avoided direct eye contact. Submissive. Passive. Not possibly a threat to anyone or anything in any way.

"I'm Angel," she squeaked out. Her small round cheeks flushed light pink at having sounded so tiny and shy when this girl had been so bold and open. Obviously she was someone who thought the company of other people was a good thing - one of the people that Annie would likely never understand. Keeping this in mind, Angel hoped she would be boring enough to disinterest the girl and be left alone so she could get back to her book. And back to not really existing to the world, the way she typically did.

Feeling something akin to a bug under a microscope, Angel's feet fidgeted, her quickly deteriorating sneakers sliding against one another, pulling the rubber bottoms apart and snapping them back together. Wow; she really would need to duct tape them if she kept that up. Or there may not be any soles left on her footwear if she played with them too much.

The lighting of the student lounge made the dirty yellow shoes look slightly more grubby and used than they really were. Even with her hair pulled into a scrunchie and a headband holding her bangs back, Angel realized what a little street urchin she must look like. Why would a girl like that be talking to me? she wondered, again taking in how pretty and clean the older meta was. I really don't want pity, but that has to be it. Why else would she talk to someone like me?

[/blockquote]

words; 560
outfit; CLICK.
muse; decent[/blockquote]

[Alice Halifax]

Alice had a reason for every action she took. Sometimes that reason made perfect sense and other times it was rather....well.....just strange. People who had high standings in certain social circles or who had vast amounts of money and very long standing families made sense to befriend and find some connection with. Those like Angel however, really didn't seem to have any sane reason to befriend. What did the little girl have to offer Alice? Alice could almost put her hands on anything in the world and seeing the general appearance of Angel, Alice could certainly do better than here when it came to choosing people to hold conversations with. To Alice though, Angel had a purpose somewhere. Alice wasn't exactly sure just what purpose Angel could offer, but it would come with time.

Angel's voice and tone matched her looks which didn't surprise Alice any. The book which Angel had been reading still partially hid her face from Alice's piercing stare. It was classic self esteem issues which Alice faced within Angel, nothing too different from the conversation she had had with Stella not too long ago. Too many girls were lacking in confidence these days and those who seemed to have confidence, had it for all the wrong reasons. Alice had confidence in herself and her abilities, but that was because she had overcome the obstacles stacked up against her. Then again, arrogance was a Halifax trait.

Looking down at Angel's shoes, Alice pressed her lips together and shook her head. The poor thing really was lacking in just about everything. Working on the theory that Angel lacked any self esteem, Alice surmised that the girl came from a poor background. Maybe the least of a large number of siblings, forced to wear filthy hand-me-downs? Then again, Angel could have come from a poverty stricken family who had to fight just to have what little things they did possess? The possibility of coming from a family with parents who didn't give a crap about her or what rags she wore was a strong one. There were several theories which could be thrown out there but to really know, Alice would have to just ask.

Looking back up to Angel's face, Alice took a long slow breath before speaking. "Found you rather early in life didn't they little flower? The recruiters are pretty fast at finding people like us. I have to say, I do find their reaction time rather impressive," she said, stirring up some small talk. The approach was simple in its design. Alice would make small talk, giving her time to evaluate Angel. She knew it might not give her the most accurate account of the girl before her, but it was a start. "Please, relax won't you?," Alice asked Angel, pushing her vocal hypnotism onto her, trying to ease the tension in the air. A simple throw of the dice and one Alice had made thousands of times before. It was much easier to initiate conversations if your conversation partner was calm while around you.

The few students in the lounge had grown a bit quieter as Alice talked to Angel. Alice was somewhat popular around the school and was recognized by many of the students. Her rather high society family background made moments such as this one odd. Angel was a relative nobody on the campus, like so many others and so having someone such as Alice talking to her set off a few red flags. None of the students in the lounge would dare interrupt Alice and Angel though for the ones here knew better. Rumors of Alice and her involvement with certain individuals around the school as of late had been on many lips. What she was plotting was certainly curious, but so far none save the little unknown gossip queen Rumor had dared to voice their thoughts on the matter.

"I won't lie to you Angel, I'm a bit bored and I need someone to bring some life to the surroundings right now. Small talk never hurt anyone and not trying to be rude sweetheart, but you sort of look like you need a friend right now," Alice said, giving a weak nervous smile. "Can't say I've ever read that book," Alice said, nodding to Angel's book which she held tightly, "and before you can say anything, yes, the pretty little blond can read," Alice added with a giggle as she sort of wobbled from side to side, trying to make Angel laugh a bit.

[Angel Dawson]

ANGEL.DAWSON

Without understanding why, Angel felt herself relaxing as Alice told her to, feeling like the older girl's voice was somehow wrapping itself around her brain and compelling her to listen. Angel found herself wanting to relax and be calm, the way she was when she was alone. But she felt the urge to be calm and relaxed around Alice, a total stranger, which while it was something Annie had always wanted, this was her first time actually experiencing it in a long time.

Blinking in surprise, the young student lowered The Giver, resting the book on her toes, and slid her bookmark in the page she'd been reading. She didn't set it aside, for the feeling of it in her hand helped to keep her calm; but she did look Alice in the eye for a moment before returning to her submissive, evasive gaze. Though she was clearly more relaxed - her tiny shoulders no longer slumped forward, her tangled red-auburn hair tucked behind her ears and allowing the world to see the entirety of her face - a rare site indeed. She didn't understand how it was this strange Alice had managed to make her feel better, but she appreciated it. It felt good, being around people and not being terrified of every look, every sound, ever move. The tension wasn't complete gone from the skittish child, but she had to hand it to Alice - it was easy to relax around her.

Even though she still looked at Annie like she was an attractive she-wolf about to pounce.

When Alice mentioned the book Annie was reading, she blinked in surprise. First she was surprised that the older girl had never heard of the book; it was read in elementary and middle school classrooms all over the country. Wasn't it some kind of classic or something like that? But that didn't catch her attention as when Alice made it clear that the "pretty little blond" could read. Of course she could read, who would think she wouldn't be able to?

Annie wasn't accustomed to jokes and stereotypes as much as other people, since she spent most of her life under a rock and as far away from human interaction as possible. But with her strange calmness came a sort of curiosity she'd never really known before, and she wanted to know why Alice had made the comment in the first place.

Frowning slightly, the fourteen-year-old cocked her head a bit to the side and asked, "Why would you think I would be surprised you can read? You're...uhm..." realizing she didn't know the age of the older woman, Angel bit her lip slightly as her cheeks pinked, feeling her usual nervousness and shyness coming back. "...Eighteen? Nineteen?" She hoped Alice didn't get upset that she didn't know her age. Especially if she took offence to some people inquiring about her age, something Angel knew bothered a lot of girls. She'd meant no offense but was now wishing she'd have left that part out of her question since it could get her into trouble. The last thing she needed was for someone to be offended or hurt by something she'd said and become an enemy.

The calmness was ebbing away pretty quickly now with these thoughts rushing around in her head, and the child drew slightly back into herself, letting a few thick strands of dark hair fall in her face. It was her way of hiding from the world, of pretending she wasn't there. She still sort of had the mindset of 'If I can't see you, you can't see me.' When her baggy clothes and elusive habits didn't work to keep her out of scrutiny from prying eyes, she always disappeared behind her long hair. It was the main reason she kept the unruly mass as long as it was.

[/blockquote]

words; 644
outfit; CLICK.
muse; low-medium. Sorry it took so long to reply; busy weekend.[/blockquote]

[Alice Halifax]

Alice found the ignorance of young ones amusing. Angel seemed the poster child for innocent and frightened. Alice had a nasty habit of finding ones such as this and introducing them to the world she lived. It was like the snake in the garden, whispering its little deceptions and lies. Alice just had this charm about her, this look which invited you in and then held you there. The addition of her ability only made Alice an even larger danger to those she took interest in.

"Your such a sweetheart," Alice said as Angel guessed at her age, guessing a few years younger than Alice actually was. "I like you Angel, you don't seem to have that quick judgment about you like some others around here. Most people see a pretty face and assume they're lacking in the brains department. Your smart, I can tell," Alice said, giving Angel a smile as she sat up some and leaned in toward the girl, "and I bet behind those baggy clothes and long hair of yours, your pretty too," Alice went on, complimenting Angel more and more in order to establish some sort of bond with her. Alice had used her power to put Angel at ease in the beginning of their conversation but now, she relied on her natural charm and silver tongue.

Alice reached out and brushed a few strands of hair from Angel's face, slowly so as not to startle the girl. "Hiding in a corner won't get you anywhere sweetheart. A young woman should display ever ounce of her beauty, not hide it away," she said, letting out a deep sigh, her hand falling away from Angel's face. Alice looked Angel over a moment, her eyes studying her, while her mind pondered something. Standing to her feet, Alice moved around behind Angel, her hand taking Angel's hair gently. She gathered as much of the mass of locks as she could, pulling it back into a pony tail, using the scrunching to hold the hair in place. "You shouldn't ever let others know they intimidate you or else they'll use you like a doormat for the rest of your life," Alice said, moving around back in front of Angel, taking her seat once more. Looking Angel over once more, Alice smiled, more approving this time. "There now, much better," she said, sitting back in her chair again.