Enter The Shadows (Open.)

[Cameron Osiris]

It was like the flip of a switch, and everything was dark. Chester wasn’t around, and Cam had stopped filling the void with other people. The usually friendly, bright and bubbly blond Cam that people knew wasn’t to be found. Not today, and maybe not for a long time. He couldn’t forget what was going on in his mind and heart, and he couldn’t understand other people. First the talk with people reminded him that no one could take him seriously, no one thought they were good enough for him, and maybe they were right, except that he wasn’t good enough for anyone.

Slipping into a dark grey hoodie and sweat pants, Cam slipped the hood over his head and went outside. It wasn’t that gross outside, considering the season, and at least it matched this mood. Cam couldn’t remember being this sad, or this angry. And he couldn’t remember a time where he took so much time to think about something. Why was it that if he could have anyone he wanted, he only wanted one person? And that person was nowhere to be found.

He was mad at himself, but boy was he pissed at Chester. It would be best if people just steered clear of him today as he passed through the courtyard. He hadn’t picked up his guitar since Mia came over to visit, and though he still fed Crazy Eyes, he did barely anything more. He just wanted to sit in this snow and think. Cam untucked a tissue from the pocket on the front of the garment, wiping at his nose. He looked awful to say the least, and his cold wasn’t helping anything. But he was already sick so he didn’t really care if he was outside in the freezing weather.

Life was just flat.

[Appoline Meian]

Despite the nastiness of the weather, outside had seemed to be a good place to be today. The snow mixed with a light drizzle, giving the air an effect of silver mist, and the snow still on the ground crunched under Appoline's boots as her light frame broke the frozen crust atop the powder. She'd stayed late to write a research paper for her chemistry class, and the night had come on swiftly with little warning. Luckily, her mother had warned her of rain, so she'd brought an umbrella. Despite this, her skirt was soaked to the knee from the wetness, but at least her boots were keeping her lower legs warm.

Pausing a moment on her walk through the courtyard to adjust her satchel bag, the young woman noticed someone sitting in the snow, hunched over and apparently unhappy. Normally, the Japanese girl hesitated when walking up to such strange people, but she was still on campus and there had to be a good reason as to why someone would put themselves in such a state of misery. She paused, adjusted the bag once more, and walked closer to the dark figure.

She didn't recognize him right away; the wet, dark hoodie hid a lot of his features from view, and him slouching hid even more. Even still, after a moment's pause and biting her lip in thought, Appoline timidly stepped forward and crouched down herself, her skirt pooling in navy waves as she shifted the umbrella to cover both of them at least partially. She had a coat, he didn't; he needed the cover more. "It's... it's a little cold out," she greeted, a nervous laugh touching her words. "Would... you like some company?"

As she searched his features, the gymnast recognized the tired and pale features of the boy before her. She'd sketched him before, talking with a few others in the lunchroom. Only then, he'd seemed to glow with happiness. Now... now he looked shrouded and cowled, like stormclouds not only fought overhead, but were trying to mask his face.

[Cameron Osiris]

Shocked by the sudden fabric by his feet, Cam looked up into a kind pair of eyes. Well, that certainly wasn’t what he was expecting, but it did make him smile a little. Perk up if you will. He nodded yes for the company, scooting over on the cold hard bench he was sitting on.

The state of misery just made sense. Cameron had done this to himself after all, and there wasn’t an easy way out of this, not like sitting around moping about it was going to be any help, but he was just tired of trying so damn hard when no one really wanted him. Not really. His school had taken a backseat at his distracted mind couldn’t think of anything with that kind of relevance. He was just going to have to bit the bullet later.

“Appoline, right?” He offered. “I’d give you my hand to shake but I’m sick, so you’ll just have to hear me say it: Hi, I’m Cam. I’ve seen you in chem.” He wasn’t that much of a creeper, but he did remember names and faces quite easily. Cam wasn’t as blond as he claimed to be. She was usually pretty shy as far as he could remember, but that was alright, he didn’t need someone to be asking him a hundred and one questions right now.

Cam didn’t care to say anything, the little happiness that made an appearance faded before it had a chance to glow. There just wasn’t a point.

[Appoline Meian]

Taking the proffered seat next to him, Appoline sat carefully, adjusting both her skirt and the umbrella to make sure that the first was set comfortably and the second shielded both of them from the freezing drizzle. His smile had been brief but comforting - Cam was always smiling before today, as if nothing in the world could ever darken his mood. Apparently, though, that wasn't the case today.

She smiled shyly back and nodded as he recalled her name, a little surprised and somewhat honored that he'd actually remembered. Unlike him, the Japanese girl tended to stick in the background as often as possible, though recently she was reaching out further and further from her shell to talk to her classmates. "That's all right," she answered back with a light smile. "I remember you; I um... I have a couple sketches of you in my notebook. You make a... um... a really good subject."

Her face flushed at the idea of saying that to him, but she didn't look away. Progress, one step at a time. "Is... something the matter?"

[Cameron Osiris]

It wasn't her fault shit had finally hit the fan in his life. On any other day, he'd be talking her ear off, probably try to flirt with her and laugh himself off. He just wasn't in the mood today, and he was done with trying not to cry so it was better just to feel numb. He was sick and his immune system was slowing deteriorating, and it was starting to show in the way he carried himself and sniffed every once in a while.

He smiled softly. Honestly, he had full intentions of just being snarky at whoever crossed his path, but he really couldn't bring himself to do it. People were drawn to him, he couldn't help it, and he liked being in the spotlight, he thrived off the attention. But being himself had hurt a lot of people lately, so maybe he needed to turn the dial back a few dozen notches.

"Yeah, you could say that," he said, looking down at his own cold hands. There was something definitely wrong with him. Cam sighed, looking away from her. "I'm just an idiot." There, that summed it up nicely.

[Appoline Meian]

There were a lot of meanings to the word "idiot". Between her parents alone, Appoline had found out a good number of them. It could mean someone who is lacking in intelligence of any sort, either academic, experimental, or plain common sense. It could be someone who makes mistakes and doesn't learn from them, causing them to make the same mistakes over and over again while all the while expecting different results. It could be someone who doesn't pay attention to the world around them and thus causes problems for others out of neglect. It could even be someone who overlooks a minor detail that really isn't so minor to someone else, causing them to say or do something hurtful.

Cameron wasn't any of those people, as far as she knew. He was always laughing and smiling, kind and compassionate. He did everything he could to make the world a brighter place, and people loved him. He was popular for a good reason.

So why did he call himself an idiot?

"I don't think you are," Appoline murmured, shifting a little to keep her legs warm. "You're very smart, I think. And... well, if something happened... everyone makes mistakes sometimes." Her father was a prime example of that in pretty much every way imaginable. Occasionally, she wondered why her mother put up with him. "It doesn't make you an idiot. It just... it makes you normal."

The artist had no real idea why Cam was so gloomy anyway, but something told her that he had made some sort of mistake and was beating himself up over it. She didn't listen to rumors much, and wasn't really aware of what was going on in most people's relationships (most of her friends were either single or in very stable couplings). If she was going to hear anything about this, it would have to be from the boy next to her.

[Cameron Osiris]

Cameron was pretty much the epitome of ‘idiot’ at this point. He didn’t really have common sense, but he was a really good student. Academics weren’t an issue, and up until recently, neither was his social life. He made the same mistakes relationally over and over again and kept thinking he could get out of his binds through tall tales or seeking out others. He often didn’t understand what people told him and just assumed what they meant instead of clarifying. And he didn’t really pay attention to detail if it wasn’t important to him.

Maybe he could relate to others and make them happy, but that didn’t seem to be enough for anyone. He just wasn’t enough and people perceived him as being spread out far too thin. Cam was popular because he was nice to everyone and accepted people exactly as they were without trying to change them.

“Why? Because I’m in advanced chem with you?” He smirked to himself, shaking his head. “I cause more problems than I know how to fix.” Cam didn’t care if it was normal or not, it still hurt people. “I mean, I might be a father. I cheated on my boyfriend with my best friend who I love and doesn’t love me back and I’ve gone and ruined everything. My friends have all but disappeared and the ones I have left I’ve left heartbroken.” He laughed bitterly. Now that, that couldn’t be normal.

[Appoline Meian]

The bitter grief in his tone told her that her words hadn't done much to help. Appoline wasn't terribly good at giving advice or making people feel better in the first place, so she wasn't surprised, but she still felt a little glum. What could he possibly have done to dampen his bright personality so very much?

But then, he spoke about it: he might be a dad; he cheated on his boyfriend; the person he cheated with he fell in love with; they didn't love him back; his friends had all but left him behind. It was so startling that the Japanese girl didn't speak for a moment, torn between hiding, giving him a lecture, or trying to console him. This certainly wasn't a normal situation, but she was sure that someone somewhere in the world had been through something similar. At least he wasn't alone in that regard.

After a few long moments of thinking, the artist spoke up again very quietly. "Do... do you want to talk about it?" she asked, her voice a little meek. "I... I might not be able to give you... um, any advice, but... I can listen, if you want. Maybe it'll help?"

Personally, she wished her mom or dad were here instead - they were older and could probably give good advice on this. She was just some cloistered kid who hid her nose in a sketchbook. How could she help other than being there to listen?

[Cameron Osiris]

It wasn’t her fault, really, he appreciated the effort, but he wasn’t in the mood for it. Cam may be very bright, but he was also very blunt. He didn’t want her pity, he was just happy for someone to talk to. He was the bad guy here.

Cam wasn’t looking at her for a reaction, he was looking at his own two hands, devastated. Everyone was frighteningly free to do as he pleased in this world and he was no exception. The fact that his life was a regular soap opera wasn’t comforting.

Looking at her finally, Cam smiled, sort of. “I don’t think anyone can give me advice. I got myself into this, I’ll have to find a way out.” He wasn’t giving up altogether, he was just giving up on today. “It’s a long story,” he interjected, trying to sit further into the hood on his head, sniffling.

[Appoline Meian]

He was right, of course. No one would be able to fix things but him, and that was just how the world worked. Even if she could give him the best advice in the world, the light manipulator didn't have to follow it - he didn't even have to listen.But there was something to be said about talking about problems. So, it was with a slight amount of surprise that Appoline placed her hand gently on his arm, giving him a shy little smile of her own.

"I have time," she replied. "Besides, sometimes it's hard to see a path when you're lost. Maybe... maybe a second pair of eyes will do you some good."

The weather wasn't exactly turning for the worst, but it was rather dark and the nights became very chilly out here. Even through her warm clothes, the teenager could feel the chill of winter night settling into the air. Cam was dressed far less appropriately for the weather than she was, so there was some concern there, too. "It's... it's getting colder," she started, looking out to the mixed precipitation from under the umbrella they both shared. "Would you, um, like to go somewhere warmer? I can stay here with you, b-but I don't want you to get sick..."

[Cameron Osiris]

Cam smiled at the touch. "If you want to." Because he had never made someone do anything they didn't want to do and he wasn't about to start now. Cam stood with a bit of a laugh, his hands in his pockets. "I'm already sick." Sick, bitter, and cold. But there was no reason why Appoline needed to be in the same boat as him.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked, since she had been gracious enough to even talk to someone who was the walking plague. "You're not disgusted with me?" He asked, wondering if people were often too forgiving of his actions.

[Appoline Meian]

Scrambling to make sure the tall boy didn't hit his head on the umbrella, Appoline stood as well, holding the protective device high as she adjusted her skirt and bag to sit more comfortably. "W-well, better than inviting it to get worse," she offered, biting her lip shyly. She should have known that he was unwell - he looked sick a little, but he seemed miserable for another reason. Plus, people who were sick generally didn't sit out in the freezing rain in the middle of January.

"Um... well... we could..." The gymnast pondered this for a moment. She didn't usually stay after school this late, and she didn't live in a dorm. The institute was her school, not her home - she was different from a lot of students here who came from elsewhere. "I... I think the student lounge might still be open," she offered hesitantly. "I-if not, we could at least... go to the main hall in, um, the dorms."

Appoline visited the main hall rarely, usually only when she was going to see one of her few friends or meeting for a study group in someone's room. It was a place that she felt was mostly forbidden to outsiders (i.e. her) unless one had business there. Granted, taking Cam to his room to make sure he'd be okay was a good reason to be there, but she was still unnerved about the idea. Still, it was more likely to be open and unlocked than the student lounge.

She looked up at his second question and shook her head automatically, even though inside she was somewhat unsure. Cameron had turned out to be a flaky sort of individual and one who seemed to attract trouble. Most of it could have been prevented if he'd taken more care, but some of it was simply misfortune. She couldn't be mad at him for that. These things happened. "I think... it could have been, ah, handled better, but... no, I'm not disgusted with you. I think... well, I think you made a couple of bad choices... but if you really want to... You might be able to fix it if you try, I mean."

She really wasn't good at this.

[Cameron Osiris]

Cameron held out his hand, offering to carry the umbrella for the both of them. Smart girl, thinking of bringing one at all! “I don’t it can,” he said dismally. It really probably could, but he didn’t care.

“Student lounge’s open,” he said, glancing at her. “You’re not in dorm then. Are you living on your own?” He couldn’t really guess how old she was, and he didn’t want to assume anything. He was done making an ass out of himself for now. “We could always go to my room,” he said, not being suggestive in the slightest. You knew something was wrong with Cameron Osiris when he wasn’t excessively flirting with anything with legs.

He sighed. Well, if she was disgusted, she probably would’ve left by now. Cameron was never careful, he dove into things headfirst or not at all. A little light was brought back into his face as she spoke. Maybe there was still hope. She wasn’t as bad as she thought she was. “My boyfriend is the nicest guy, he’d probly take me back if I tried but... that doesn’t make me love my best friend any less.” And that was the problem. Was he even allowed to call Dec his boyfriend any more?

“Lounge or dorm?” He asked as they stepped inside, only noticing now how much warmer it was in here. “No wonder I’m sick,” he said, laughing at himself.

[Appoline Meian]

"It can always be worse," Appoline quoted softly. Her father said that sometimes, though he was often superstitious about saying it during hardships. She found that it was true, in pretty much anything - nothing was ever so bad that it couldn't be worse. Sometimes, though... sometimes "worse" was as unbearable to think about as "now". "So, um... let's do our best to make sure it doesn't."

Handing the umbrella over delicately, she shook her head and adjusted the bag on her shoulder again. "No; I live with my parents and sister in town," she replied. "We, um... we have a house not too far from here. I walk to school."

The mention of his room made her fidget a little, but she realized he wasn't trying to be coy or suggestive. He was just tired and sick and hurting; maybe his room would comfort him? "W-we could go to your room, ah, if you like," the artist stated quietly, her cheeks turning more pink despite herself. "At least... I can walk you there." That would be okay, right?

Stepping inside the warm room, the Japanese exchange student shivered slightly and closed the door carefully behind them, taking the brief pause to think about the blonde teen's words. Would it even be all right for him to try and be "taken back" as it were? Would that solve anything? No, it wouldn't. It might actually make things worse. A relationship without trust doesn't last. So, she shook her head. "I... I don't think that's the answer, either," she replied gently. "Maybe... Maybe you could still be friends, but... I don't think that'd b-be healthy for either or you. Have you, um... have you talked to your friend? Maybe he can help you figure out... figure out what you feel."

Not knowing who Cam's friends were kind of made that point sound a little more valid in her head. Appoline was no real fan of Chester, but she had no idea he was involved in this.

[Cameron Osiris]

“That doesn’t really help,” Cam commented, then sighed. “I know you’re trying to make me feel better, but it really can’t get worse. My worst fear came true.” It was a startling realization.

“You miss all the social life,” he said, not that that had done him any favours.

“I’d like that,” he said with a small smile. Apple was cute, adorable even, but he wasn’t in that kind of mood. Once inside, Cam handed over the umbrella, thanks in his eyes. “I’ve talked to one other person, and she said I should talk to him right away…” His lack of conclusion meant he didn’t have one. “And well, Chester hasn’t talked to me since we cheated. He said I should just go back to Dec.”

Opening his dorm door, Cam gestured inside. “We can sit on the couches in here. You like tea?”