Halcyon Halls

Who: Cissy and Sydni
When: Evening
Where: The Caf

Dinner. Why was it that everyone always wanted to meet over food? Cissy could barely stand food. She hated trying to eat in front of someone. She felt pressured to at least try to eat and then she just felt sick with herself afterwards. But apparently Sydni was a busy girl and dinner was pretty much the only free time that she had. But why did it have to be the Cafeteria? The food there was hardly edible. Granted, it was better than some of the Cafeteria food she had eaten, or not eaten rather, in her life, but it was still just.. Well eww. It made her feel disgusting just thinking about eating it. She preferred to only eat food that she prepared herself, truth be told, just so she would know exactly what was going into her body. But whatever! She was here anyway.

With a sigh, Cissy glanced around looking for this girl that she was to meet under the pretense of easing the other girl's mind about Cissy being involved with Simon. Aww, Simon. Just thinking about him made her smile. The truth of the matter was, however, that Cissy wanted to size her up, see whether or not she had anything to worry about when it came to this girl. Was she potential competition? Cissy wasn't sure yet, and that was the entire point of this little meet and greet. Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer. That was the golden rule, wasn't it? That's what she had always thought.

While waiting, it was decided that Cissy needed a fresh manicure. She would see to that after school on Friday. It was also decided that she would go for the spaghetti simply because that was something she could push around enough to make it look like she had eaten some without really having to eat it. She had already had a protein shake so she was good until tomorrow. And then finally someone started to approach her in their designated meeting area and she had to assume that it was Sydni. She frowned a little though it was hardly noticeable. She was cute. That was disappointing.

"You must be Sydni." The frown was replaced with her best smile as she extended a hand. "Cecilia, but you can call me Cissy."

Who:  Sydni and Mircea
What:  Meandering the beach; Mircea's found a new mark
When:  Evening
Where:  The beach

If there was one thing that put Sydni at peace, it was the ocean.  And there were plenty of places to find it on the island.  Even though she walked every morning, this week she had found it necessary to walk in the evening, too.  She had to take a break from work to think so she could come back refreshed.  She did a good job looking not distressed in classes, and she kept up on her work, so for the most part, most people didn't notice her morose mood.  Why should they?  She was just... quiet when she was sad.  Not much of a difference from her usual self.

Walking along the beach, the brunette realized that at least now she could find beauty in things.  Stooping down, she scooped up a sand dollar.  She looked at a lot of shells still, but the only ones she ever kept were sand dollars.  Whole ones.  She loved how Christians saw them as representative of Christ's wounds, while they were also perfect pentacles.  It showed how not so different the two faiths were, in her opinion.  Smiling softly to herself, she cradled the fragile shell in her palm and continued her walk.

The seabreeze reinvigorated her - she didn't think there was a cleaner scent on earth - and she paused to take a deep breath.  Yes, she was feeling better.  She no longer felt her heart was breaking.  It wasn't that she loved Charlie - she wasn't that foolish.  But she had cared deeply for him, and he was easily her closest friend here.  Perhaps she was foolish - it wasn't as if she hadn't been secretly hoping that somehow he'd be willing to...  With a sigh, she shook the silly notions from her head.  No thinking those thoughts.  She was feeling better.  No time for them now.

Continuing her stroll, she noticed a figure in the distance.  Someone else felt the urge to ramble.  No longer feeling so utterly morose, Sydni didn't steer her course away from the other person.  She didn't particularly want to chat, but a quick nod and a hello were not entirely beyond her.

Who: Charlie and Sydni
When: Thursday night
Where: Starting at school, heading to the Isle of Bacalao Hotel eventually

Charlie had to admit, he was feeling pretty down as he got cleaned up and prepared to meet Sydni. This would be the last time he saw her for a while. He refused to think of it as the last time ever. Sure, it was a possibility, promised visits didn't always become a reality. But he was convinced he and Sydni would keep in touch, and he was sure she'd visit him when her schedule allowed it. The biggest challenge to her visiting was going to be the tension between her and Davia, though maybe that would ease with a bit of distance. He hoped so.

It was dark out, and Charlie was dressed, but he needed to take Cassius out for a walk before meeting up with Sydni, then he'd drop the pup off with a non-light-sensitive friend for the evening. Yeah, Charlie and Sydni would have to return to the school before dawn, so it wasn't like Cassius would be locked up for a cruel period of time, but he still liked to provide the pup with company.

With Cassius in good hands, Charlie ran back to his room to get everything he needed for the night, which was basically just his wallet, cell, and keys. He'd either sleep naked (like normal) or in his boxers if Syd preferred. Charlie had no idea what to expect from their evening together, especially since he figured she was upset about him leaving. He didn't know what to expect of himself either, knowing that Sydni wasn't one for casual sex, and not feeling entirely comfortable trying to convince her otherwise. Something told Charlie he probably could, but would that be taking advantage? He wasn't sure.

With a sigh, he made his way outside and toward his bike, where he planned to meet Sydni. She wasn't there yet, but he went ahead and uncovered the motorcycle and got the helmets out. He also briefly checked his appearance in one of the bike's side mirrors. He'd kept it casual and fashionable as always... rugged jeans that hugged his lean frame nicely, paired with a button up black shirt. The typical flare was in place as well... a cool belt buckle, his favorite boots, and of course his leather jacket.

Who: Mircea and Sydni
When: Evening
Where: Outside of the School
What: A drunken Sydni meets a friendly wolf.

The benefits of being a shape shifter were that one could take a nice leisurely stroll outside and not be bothered by most sentient creatures, particularly when one was a large black wolf. Mircea only knew of one person at the school who knew his lupine form, and she wasn't likely to be speaking to him anytime soon. She didn't quite know about the raven yet, but she was a smart girl and she'd figure it out eventually. Either she would or that mysterious Max fellow who had left him that polite note.

The one downfall was that his clothes didn't shift with him. It was easy to carry a bag with clothing and secret it amidst some leaves in the woods near the school when he was a wolf, but doing it as a bird was another thing. He hoped no one ever closed his window or else he'd be stuck outside with no clothing. That would be...problematic.

Trotting outside of the school, Mircea was enjoying what would have been a nice leisurely stroll through the woods when he heard heavy footfalls on the path coming towards him and the school. He glanced upwards, his light eyes glinting in the moonlight as he opened his mouth in a yawn. Moving up the well-worn dirt path, he caught sight of a lone figure, staggering slightly as she walked. He huffed a soft bark before he moved a little faster and then took a seat, surprised to see the young woman walking towards him.

What on earth was Sydni doing out here, wine bottle in hand, staggering down the path looking as though the entire world had just ended? Normally, he wasn't concerned by other people's habits unless they involved him in some way or another, but given that he'd involved himself with the young woman moving towards him, he stepped into her path slowly and then sat back on his haunches, tilting his head to the side to study her.

What had she gotten herself into?

Who: Sydni and Davia
When: Around 9
Where: The Restaurant inside the Luxe
What: Dinner

This was perhaps a strange setting for two girls to be meeting. It was a little more romantic than Davia had actually pictured it being. But that was fine. The food smelled delicious and there was really no point in trying to find somewhere else to go once Sydni got here. They already had reservations for this place, which would probably be impossible to come by elsewhere, and she didn't want to go somewhere that wasn't quite as fancy considering she had gotten all dressed up for the evening. Why she had bothered to ensure that she looked so nice in order to meet up with Sydni was perhaps a mystery, but if she gave it much thought, maybe she could come up with an answer. And maybe she really didn't want to.

Davia was the first to arrive at the restaurant, so she was seated and the hostess had assured her that her companion would be escorted to the table as soon as she arrived. She fidgeted with the straw in her glass of water upon the table as she waited, her mind reeling with thoughts, thoughts about Halcyon, about LA, about Charlie, and then about Sydni as well. She wondered if they ever really would be able to repair the rift between them. She knew it was important to Charlie, that she and Sydni both were important to him, but knowing that made it even harder to actually take that step forward. It brought to the forefront all the insecurities that she was trying very hard to push to the back of her mind. It was very difficult to want to be around someone that made her feel that way. But here she was, making an effort, though why it was for her and not for him, as Charlie had suggested, she wasn't really sure.

"Can I get a bottle of red wine?" She asked, catching the waitress as she passed. "House wine. Whatever that is." She clarified, then folded her hands in her lap and leaned back a bit in the chair. An awkward smile was cast in the direction of a man that seemed to have a bit of an eye for her. She wasn't feeling the same cool confidence that she had felt the last time she and Sydni had met. She was a little bit scared. Moving to LA was a big step and one that she wasn't entirely sure of, one that she hadn't really had the chance to give much thought to. It seemed like the right thing to do, but the city was big and scary and had the ability to potentially eat her alive. Hopefully that wasn't going to happen, she just had an innate fear of losing herself while trying to find herself. She was putting a lot of trust in Charlie, and in his family, none of whom she had known all that long, to keep her grounded.

Who:  Sydni and Jesse
What:  Snorkeling
Where:  On the ocean
When:  Saturday afternoon

It was a good thing that Sydni had so much extra energy from the full moon coming on Monday.  After passing out from the medicine the nurse had given her, she'd woken up in the middle of the night, with the distinct urge to prowl.  And while her shoulder still hurt, she couldn't suppress that urge and had gone walking, though this time, she stayed on the beach, despite the protestations she felt from her inner wolf.  It would just have to deal - not that she really thought she'd have more knives thrown at her, but she didn't particularly trust her direction sense to keep her from getting lost.  Or protective her from others who felt like prowling in the middle of the night.

As a result, though, she hadn't gotten much sleep and when her alarm went off early for her to go to work, she couldn't help grumbling a bit.  But, her extra energy bouyed her up plenty, and she had no problem running the class.  Well, aside from the fact that she felt like she had ADHD and PMS at the same time.  Not so good for the goofballs in class - didn't take much to piss her off right now.  Or distract her.  Not good for the slow learners, either - she needed to keep moving on to the next thing.  Luckily, she could address any problems next week.  Kyle had given her Sunday off, and it was probably good for the other were or two in class.  At least they were on the same page as her.

After class, Sydni went to go check over The Azure, the boat she always rented, and stow her own snorkeling gear, and the set she'd rented for Jesse.  She had a hard time sitting and waiting for the younger man to show up, so she decided to go get some coffee to calm her nerves.  Riiight.  In any case, it kept her moving.  She had noticed a little coffee place nearby and while it wasn't Starbuck's, it was still coffee.  Getting her coffee and heading out again, she noticed she still had about 15 minutes to kill before Jesse showed up, so she meandered down a few of the roads, just to see what was around.  Unable to stop checking her watch, she nearly drove herself nuts with impatience.  Finally, after enough aimless browsing, she headed back to the docks.

Still arriving before Jesse, she fiddled about on the boat a little, before noticing him strolling down the docks.  "Hey!" she shouted, waving so he'd know which boat.  All her restless energy was now steered into more productive excited energy.  This was gonna be fun!

Who:  Sydni and Kenzie
Where:  The kitchen
What:  Belated birthday dinner
When:  After the dinner rush

Sydni was looking forward to surprising her friend with a treat for his birthday.  The last time they'd bumped into each other she'd ended up red for most of the conversation.  Even now when that thought crossed her mind, she blushed a bit.  It definitely showed on he face whenever she thought about sex.  And Serghei was a very attractive guy, and Kenzie, well, she definitely had a bit of a different view of him now.  She'd previously thught of him as a kid, but now she really couldn't think of him that way without being a bit creeped out.

Looking at all the ingredients she'd brought with her, she didn't know how much Kenzie would like to help or not.  It could be fun.  Especially making the dough.  She liked squishing it between her fingers, as childlike as that could be.  She even had fun making funny designs out of the toppings - usually she made a happy face with pepperonis, black olives, and and peppers.  But she'd brought just about every topping she could think of so Kenzie could decide what he wanted on the pizza.  Homemade pizza was definitely the way to go - way healthier if you chose the right toppings.  And, she'd brought some wine in case he liked wine.  Other beverages were already in the kitchen fridge, so she hadn't bothered with those.

Sydni was really never happier than when she was making something for someone else.  She loved to give gifts way more than she enjoyed receiving them.  And while she had no problem hunting down the perfect store-bought gift, if she could make it, she would.  She really believed that putting her energy into something made it that much more powerful.  Especially given her spiritual beliefs.

Looking around at her set up - all the ingredients plus the necessary utensils and dishes - she smiled and nodded a bit to herself.  It was a bit early in the week, but she was feeling some of the pull of the moon.  She couldn't stand still for long, and kept going and checking cabinets to be sure she hadn't forgotten something.  Or she'd start tapping her nails on the counter.  When she heard someone enter, she looked up and smiled.  "Happy belated birthday."

Who: Mircea and Sydni
Where: Outside of the School
When: Friday

When he'd finished cataloging the returned library books, Mircea made his way outside of the school. Friday afternoons weren't the busiest at the library, so he'd decided to spend it practicing. Now, his type of practicing wasn't something he wanted to broadcast to the entire school, so he moved to an out of the way clearing and decided to play target practice with a tree.

His throwing knives were some of his prized possessions. They were old, almost as old as he was, and they were in excellent shape. The blades were a dark steel and the handles were delicately wrapped with roan leather, perfectly balanced for weight and speed. He'd picked a medium sized tree with thick bark to throw at, and with practiced ease the knives slid from his fingers to land in the tree with a thunk.

Losing himself in the smooth movement of the steel flowing from his fingers, his thoughts wandered back to his meeting with Cassandra. She hadn't know that the black bird that had alighted on her windowsill was him and she had been just as kind and thoughtful as he had remembered. Despite all that had happened to her, despite her family's rejection, despite the years spent with him, she still trusted too easily.

Everyone he had talked to here trusted fairly easily, though he had no doubt that if he misstepped the administration would see to his removal. He didn't want to conceive of that. He'd worked too hard to make it here, to be close to her. And he would stay for as long as it took for him to get what he wanted.

A sound interrupted his reverie and with no thought towards it, just automatic reaction, he let the knife slip through his fingers towards its target. Damn!

Who:  Sydni and Selene
What:  An accidental meeting
When:  Late night
Where:  Hallway near instructors' offices

Sydni was pleased.  It had been another successful meeting with Miklos.  Again, they'd talked late into the night.  That might have been normal for Miklos, but it would really suck for Sydni in the morning.  Really, she didn't care much, though.  She was learning so much, and it really was invigorating to have the kind of one on one instruction of an independent study.  Why didn't she do an independent study earlier?  She could have gotten more out of some of her classes; she was sure of it.  With her head spinning with what she'd learned, the topics they'd discussed, she set down the hallway with a small smile on her face.  Eventually it faded as she walked, however.  Not because she was displeased, but because she had a lot to think about.  Some of what Miklos pointed out contradicted some of her personal thoughts and beliefs, and she needed to ponder through them to reconcile the differences.

Her week had so far been more enjoyable than she'd imagined.  It had also been more low-key.  Yesterday, she'd met the newest member of the staff, and she'd had a successful chat with Dav - er, Shaye.  Things were really starting to look up.  Plus, she was fairly certain she'd get to go out diving this weekend.  At last, a good week.  Her mind continued to be absorbed by the discussion she'd just had, but it was probably more positive and open now that she'd finally settled into a less stressful time here at the school.  That was one thing about her tendency for overloading - stress often inhibitted learning, but somehow, it seemed to work for her.  She needed to keep herself occupied to deal with her stress, and she was successful at managing both.

With her mind fully occupied with the cognitive dissonance of tonight's discussions, Sydni rounded a corner without paying attention to what her ears were telling her - that someone was headed on a crash course for her.  Luckily, her reflexes were better than her ears, and she stepped to the side barely missing the tall blond.  "Whoa!" she muttered in surprise.  She knew she was at fault - the word escaped out of surprise.  Gasping slightly, she offered a quick apology.  "I'm sorry!  I wasn't paying attention.  Are you ok?"  They hadn't collided, but it was still instinct for her.  Besides, she looked none too happy and Sydni wanted to mollify her before she launched into angry words.  She didn't need anything to kill her good week vibes right now.

Who: Simon and Sydni
What: Dinner
Where/When: Cafeteria, midevening

At the buffet of life there are eaters and there are starvers. Simon was an eater. One great thing about coming from a good Christian home was his mother believed that a good meal was necessary at least 3 times a day. Sion could eat more than any one person had the right to. It all went to his metabolism, but you'd swear there was a black hole in his gut somewhere hiding all the food. He smiled widely as he carried a overly full tray back to his empty table. A heaping of salad with raisins and french dressing on top, a thick balogna and swiss sandwich, a sloppy joe for good measure, a full-to-the-brim orange soda and some type of apple pastry for dessert. More than likely he would be going back for more, but this was a good start.

It was pretty humid out, the perfect kind of night where you sit inside in the AC and enjoy modern technology. It was also the perfect kind of night to take a stroll outside while the sun wasn't out to burn your face off. But nuts to that- there was artificial cold to be had! That and sloppy joes.

Simon parked himself at his lonely table, although today he didn't mind the solitude. He'd gotten himself a great deal of food, and planned on stuffing himself silly with it. Starting a new life made one quite hungry all the time, he realized. The only friends he'd really made were girls, and it would've been a bit embarassing for one of them to see him chowing down like this.

Who:  Sydni and Shaye (Davia)
What:  Trying to reconnect, still
When:  Friday evening
Where:  Ice cream shoppe

Sydni was again nervous.  Maybe she and Davia - Shaye, she corrected herself - would be able to get together someday and she wouldn't feel anxious about it.  Their last conversation had gone well.  She was glad they were going for ice cream.  It made her think about their sleepover.  Maybe the similarity to a happy memory would be a good thing.  She could always hope.

After classes, she did a bit of homework since she had work this weekend, and a 'date' to take Serghei out on the water.  But she stopped with time to get ready to go out.  Even though she knew Shaye, and knew that how she looked wouldn't make much of a difference, she was a firm believer that presentation made a big difference in how others saw you.  So, she got a bit dressed up with a cute scoop neck violet top, and form-fitting board shorts style jeans.  Jeweled black flip-flops finished off the outfit.  She even put on a bit of make up.  Dressing up simply made Sydni feel more comfortable, more confident.  If she were too nervous, she'd do something stupid.  Like when she'd been talking about going back to that - Sydni cut off her thoughts there.  She'd told Shaye she wouldn't say bad things about her father.  She still loved him - he was the only father she'd known for all those years.  In any case, she'd felt so helpless, she had said things that had only upset her.  Didn't want the same thing happening today.

When it was about time to meet Shaye, she took a cab down to town.  She was early, she she walked around a bit, checking out the stores that were still open.  She wasn't really shopping, but she was often content to simply window shop.  She had the control to look and look and not spend a dime.  Finally, she headed to the ice cream shoppe.  Shaye still wasn't there, so she grabbed a table as she waited.  She grabbed a seat facing the doorway so she could see her friend arrive.  Soon as she saw her, she stood and walked over to her.  "Hey, glad you could make it," Sydni greeted her with a gentle smile.

Who:  Mircea and Sydni
What:  Research interrupted
Where:  Library
When:  After classes

After classes, Sydni had taken some time to get caught up on what had been happening in the scientific community as of late.  Unfortunately, the first article she picked up referenced an older article in another journal.  After searching the electronic databases, she discovered that the library had a copy of that issue, and that the electronic database only had a synopsis and not the full article.  Sighing, she changed out of her pjs and quickly pulled on some jeans and a cami style shirt.  She was going to be quick and didn't care about her presentation.  this of course meant that her tattoo and pendant were fully visible.  Like many other modern witches, she believed in the pyramid of power, including the creed 'to be silent'; that meant keeping her magic to herself.  To Sydni, that included keeping her holy symbols to herself.  It was best not to draw negative energy to those things she believed were sacred.  In any case, there probably would not be many students in the library.  It was dinner time.

After slipping into flipflops, she grabbed the page from her printer that listed all the info she'd need to find the issue, and some change for photocopies if she couldn't borrow the journal.  Most libraries didn't allow reference materials to be removed.  She plodded down to the library, relatively quietly.  Her flipflops occasionally slapped the floor, but they were old and worn, and didn't have the elasticity of a new pair.  Upon reaching the rather imposing doors to the library, Sydni slipped in relatively quietly.  She almost walked on eggshells in a library.  It had long been drilled into her that libraries were sanctuaries, and she kept a reverent silence, finding it difficult to even pose questions to the librarians in anything above a whisper.  Perhaps it was silly for an adult woman.  But there were many things Sydni did that would seem silly for an adult woman - swimming with sharks being another proof of that.

As she walked to the stacks where the scientific journals were located, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and set it to vibrate.  She knew this path rather well, and didn't really need to watch where she was going.  Reaching the aisle she was seeking, she looked up, and stopped.  Not because she'd reached her goal, but because it wasn't there.  The aisle was there, but the journals weren't.  Backtracking, she checked the signs.  Yep, she was right?  But where the heck...  She stood there for a moment, feeling as if she'd entered a parallel universe.  It was like walking into a parking lot and looking at your parking spot, and not finding your car.  That momentary confusion and panic before you realized, you'd parked somewhere else.  Except, this is where the journals had been parked.  Suddenly remembering the journal entry, it struck Sydni that there was a new librarian.  He must have moved things.  Slightly annoyed, she headed to the circulation desk.  Why mess with what worked?

Who:  Serghei and Sydni
What:  Boating for a birthday, and SHARKS!
When:  Saturday afternoon
Where:  On the ocean

Sydni was glad Serghei had agreed to come out on the boat.  Even if he wasn't diving, he was there if anything bad happened.  She wasn't planning on chumming or baiting; since Starbuck felt all these creatures were just like people, she couldn't bring herself to use the typical methods of attracting sharks.  And aside from that, she'd missed Serghei's birthday and she'd already promised to take him out.  Made sense to bring him out for his birthday now.

It had been refreshing to return to work this weekend.  She'd had to skip last weekend because of her arm, but Kyle had been understanding.  And even the customers seemed had seemed fine.  Most had been more concerned about her health.  Still shy, she hadn't appreciated all the fuss, and was glad to have the class to move things along.  Of course, while she no longer had an injured arm to worry about, she did now have to cover up her new tattoo and protect it from the water and sun.  She couldn't wait until she didn't have to worry about that.  As for the actual class, she found that after the initial jitters at the beginning of each class, she settled into the routine of things and was quite comfortable.  It was no different than showing a new intern the lab equipment.

After the class, she'd gotten The Azure ready to head out to sea, and had stowed two dive suits.  She hadn't asked him if he knew how to dive; that important piece of information had slipped her mind when she'd bumped into him at the pool.  Why did her thoughts scatter around him?  It was worse than being around Charlie!  She'd also gotten an underwater clipboard and pen to write down some data, as well as a disposable underwater camera.  Not the best equipment, but this wasn't really an official expedition.  She just wanted to note down some of the species she saw.  She also had some minor testing materials - mostly to test salinity, temperature, and pH.

It was funny, if she could think about it objectively, but she had to prep herself for meeting Serghei.  She reminded herself of many things, including that he's gay, to make sure that she didn't fall down like she seemed to tend to do when he was around.  Falling down on boats or around sharks would be bad.  She was in the middle of her mental pep talk when her ears picked up the sound of footsteps.  Taking a deep breath, she turned around and smiled at the approaching figure.  "Hey," she said.

Who:  Sydni and Charlie
What:  Post-injury concern
Where:  A common room near House of Fire
When:  Evening

The pain meds the nurse had given her were supernatural strength.  That meant, just like regular pain meds when she was human, all Sydni wanted to do was sleep all day.  But after Charlie had asked to meet her, she had set her alarm to the appropriate time in case she dozed off when she was supposed to be meeting him.  And that's exactly what she had done.  Lucky for her, pain meds didn't make her nauseous, but she still hated the loopy feeling they gave her.  Especially since it only made her feel dopey and tired, not bubbly like alcohol did.

Putting away the book she'd been reading for her independent study with Miklos, she stumbled about her room for a bit trying to clear her head.  She was already late, as she'd not been able to get up when her alarm went off.  She kept falling back asleep.  It was time to eat, she figured, and she grabbed some cold pizza out of her fridge, and a bottle of water.  That was where most of the stumbling came from - from her bed to her fridge, back to her bed.  Looking around her room stupidly, she tried to figure out what else she'd need.  Instead of remembering, she made the decision to start taking half a pill from now on.  This sucked.  For someone whose career was made on using her mind, it sucked when your mind wasn't working.  Or felt like it was in a fog.  After contemplating that for a few minutes, she remembered she'd probably need a notebook and a pen, maybe some change to make photocopies.  Grabbing it all up in her good arm, she left her room, and realized that filling her good arm with stuff to carry presented a conundrum.  Locking her door.  "Fuck it," she muttered, and headed down to the common room they'd agreed upon.  Sydni rarely cursed - it just wasn't a part of her day-to-day vocabulary.  She didn't particularly object to it, though.  But when she was tired, cranky, or drunk, the words just came out.  No filter.

Upon arriving at her destination, Sydni went over to where Charlie was and flopped in a seat near him.  "Hey," she said, trying to sound more upbeat and less fuzzy than she was actually feeling.  "I hope you don't mind," she said waving the pizza, "but I grabbed a bunch from the caf so I could hide out in my room.  Stupid meds making me sleep a lot.  That's why I'm late.  Sorry..." she smiled sheepishly.  She hated being late anywhere, but really, she was injured.  It was a valid excuse.

Who:  Sydni and Starbuck
What:  Dangerous science
When:  After classes
Where:  On the water near the city

Sydni could hardly contain herself all day.  She had never been so happy to start an 'expedition'.  Not even her very first one.  Ok, so maybe it wasn't an 'expedition' in the true sense, but she was getting to go diving with a guy who could talk to sharks, and she was helping out a fellow scientist.  On her lunch break, she'd gone to see Aimee and had gotten all the supplies she needed, eating on the go.  Even though she'd nearly been too excited to eat, she knew she needed to keep her energy up if she was going to spend as much time in the water as she wanted.  Getting the sample for Aimee was simple, but she planned to hang around after and just do some exploring if Starbuck was up for it.  She hoped he was.  And she hoped there were sharks in the water.  Bit odd for a diver to hope that.

After gathering the supplies from her room where she'd left them, she took a cab down to the surf shop to meet Starbuck.  Per usual, she'd reserved The Azure for them to go out on.  Arriving first, she set to work making sure the boat was seaworthy, not that she hadn't just checked it over the weekend, or that Kyle didn't keep his equipment in tip-top shape.  She just needed to stay busy while she waited, really.  Then she set to checking her SCUBA gear.  She didn't know if Starbuck would want any, since he could stay down for so long, so she hadn't rented any for him.  Maybe she'd have her parents send her, her own gear.  She was spending too much on rentals.

While Starbuck could easily best her in holding his breath underwater, Sydni had actually done some skin-diving on some of her expeditions.  Sharks tended to shy away from all the noise created by the regulators, and to get up-close and personal, she had ditched the SCUBA gear and free-dived.  The only problem with that was the danger of hallucinating due to lack of oxygen.  But, she'd do it again if she saw any sharks she could study.  She'd even thought of renting one of the chainmail suits, but it was so expensive, and she wasn't even sure if she'd need it.  So, if there were any sharks around, she'd be pretty much as she was.

Soon as she saw Starbuck approaching, she stored the gear she was checking over and waved him over.  Barely letting him get in a greeting, she began to ramble.  "Hey, Starbuck!  I'm so excited - you wouldn't believe it.  I mean, forams are far from sharks, but it's still research, and it will really help Aimee out.  Plus, once I've got the sample and stained it, we can go back down, if you want.  I mean, if you aren't too busy and all.  Oh, and did Kyle give you back your shirt?  I left it on Sunday when I left work."  She blushed a bit at that last part.  She hadn't really worn dive worthy clothes when she'd been down to the surf shop last, and had needed to borrow his clothes to return to school.

Who:  Sydni and Aimee
What:  Bonding over forams
Where:  Science lab
When:  Saturday afternoon

Sydni had woken up later than she expected.  She wasn't sure if it was from her body trying to mend or from the pain meds, but in any case, she wanted to get over to see Aimee and make sure that the sample had made it to her, and that it was a good sample.  What with the rush from the reef back to the school, she wasn't sure that the sample had been handled the way it should have been.  Starbuck had been much more concerned with her well-being than the sample's integrity, for obvious reasons.

Being careful to keep her wounded arm from getting wet, she took a shower (more difficult than it sounded) and got dressed.  Her stomach felt queasy, but she forced herself to go to the Lunch Hall and make up some toast and butter.  It wasn't much, but she knew she needed something.  She also filled up a Nalgene bottle with apple juice.  If she couldn't eat her nutrients, she'd drink them.

Sydni took her time meandering down to the science labs.  She'd check each one, and then check Aimee's office.  If she wasn't in any of those places, she'd go back to her room and jot of an e-mail.  Of course, having actually learned to type properly, hunting and pecking was a pain in the ass, which was what she had to do now with her hurt arm.  Doing her homework was going to be a pain.  At least she'd heal a lot quicker.

Having checked a couple of the labs already, Sydni thought she heard some movement down the wall.  Heading in that direction, she checked the rooms on the way, and when she finally reached the door from which she thought the sound had emanated, she poked her head in.  "Aimee?" she called out.  She couldn't help herself - all the years of French made her pronounce it with a French accent, as it should be.  Of course, she also had the problem of pronouncing any foreign word with a French accent, which could be especially amusing to speakers of the respective language.

Who:  Sydni and Danny
What:  Tattoo!
Where: Gun Smoke Tattoos
When:  Sunday Evening

Sydni was tired.  Physically exhausted.  She'd been sleeping a great deal of the weekend, between pain meds and the simple fact that her body needed to heal.  And now she was going to go batter it a bit more.  Of course, this time, it was by choice, and not a freak accident.  Ok, so maybe it wasn't such a freak accident, but it hadn't been expected.

Had she not been so exhausted, she probably would have been a great deal more excited, and nervous.  She'd been looking forward to getting this tattoo since her father had proposed it a while back, and she was indeed excited, but the excitement was tempered by fatigue.  And while she had a rather spectacular tattoo on her back, she was more nervous for this one.  Sydni was terrified of needles - to the point of hyperventilating, and even becoming hysterical.  Her mother was diabetic, and Sydni couldn't stand to see the syringes, even if she'd been around them all her life.  Her mother thought it was because Sydni had had poor veins her whole life, and any blood tests had been quite the ordeal.  Sydni tended to agree.  When having blood drawn took 3 or 4 sticks, and even some digging around, it was traumatic.  Especially to a kid.  She'd never outgrown either her fear of needles, or her small veins.  In any case, since the tattoo would be where she could see it, she was nervous that the needles would bother her this time.  Her stubbornness and determination would be sorely tested against her fear on this one.

After being told where to go by the woman at the front desk, Sydni made her way to Danny's work area.  She was excited to meet him.  It was cool that she could meet a friend of Charlie's, even if it was unfortunate that he had been sired by the same evil bitch as Charlie.  Granted, this wasn't really a social call, but sitting in a chair for that long would be awkward without some conversation, even if Sydni wouldn't be the one to start it.

Sydni had dressed for the occasion by wearing a spaghetti strap tank top, with a short-sleeved button up pulled over it.  For her pentacle tattoo, she had been freezing, and didn't want to do the same this time.  She also remembered to wear dark clothes of which she wasn't too fond.  Last time, her favorite bra had been ruined by the extra ink.  Even though it was warm outside, she had worn long pants, since she figured the studio would be air conditioned.  If not, she'd be a bit warm.  Oh well.

Reaching Danny's work area, she spotted who she assumed was him, and said softly, "Hey, um, I have an appointment."  She was doubly nervous now - introductions always made her heart race, and she was nervous about the needles.  She probably looked a bit pale, in addition to heart racing.  Not a good sign for someone about to get some ink.

Who:  Jaida and Sydni
What:  An introduction (About time!)
Where:  On the beach
When:  Late

Sydni had begun to feel claustrophobic in her room.  She'd been so busy with clean up duty and classes she hadn't really been able to go for her walks on the beach as she was wont to do.  So, even though it was late, and she was tired, her homework was done and she headed down to the beach for a walk.

She was worried about Frankie again.  She had cut their AIM convo short rather abruptly, and if Frankie was anything like Sydni, she needed to move when she was upset.  So the fact that she went running didn't make her feel any better.  And, of course, when she started thinking about one thing, everything else started piling on... Charlie, Davia, Justina, Charlie...  God she was stupid.  She knew damn well she had no business falling for him.  And then, she wanted so desperately to be there for Davia, but she didn't know that it would ever happen again.  Not like it had been before.  She still hadn't heard from Justina, too.  She hadn't dared call her, but she wondered how she was.

It was hot, even at night, and Sydni was wearing a dark tank, and short, frayed jean shorts.  Despite that, the heat was making it difficult for her to think clearly.  She contemplated taking a dip, even with her clothes on, but she decided that walking back to the school sopping wet would be no fun.  Instead, she waded in to just about the middle of her calves and walked that way down the beach.  When she couldn't feel her toes anymore, she trudged through the surf to the sandy beach and continued her unplanned journey down the beach.

It was then that she saw another figure on the beach.  As she got closer, she recognized the woman from her Supernatural Races class.  How couldn't she with that amazing hair?  Sydni was a bit jealous of people who could have completely wild hair like that.  She'd always wanted purple streaks, but it just wouldn't have worked for her.  She didn't have the complexion, style, or personality for it.  She wracked her brain for the woman's name, but it just wasn't coming to her.  She continued her path, not really avoiding the approaching figure, but she was open to a meeting tonight.  It couldn't hurt.

Who:  Kenzie and Sydni
What:  A second chance
Where:  In a hallway near the Lunch Hall
When:  Before dinner

Sydni was hoping that this week would turn out better than last.  Although the outcomes of last week had been better than she hoped, it had really been an emotional rollercoaster, and she was done with her emotions being so out of whack.  Seriously.  The week before had been the full moon, and she had been nearly off her rocker with the pull of her various emotions.  And then last week her emotions had gone on a similar path.  Time for a nice, mellow week.  Or at least one without turmoil.

She'd finally decided that it was safe to return to the Lunch Hall for meals.  She'd spent a whole week away from it, and she figured that the ruckus had died down.  Besides, there was new gossip to discuss - the trashing of the art room being top on that list, she suspected.  Seriously, who did that kind of thing?  Those were creations, even if they weren't 'good', someone had made them, and who knows, maybe it was something of which they were proud.  But at least, her cat fight could be forgotten in the light of this new development.  Truth be told, her own adventures were probably long forgotten.  But her timidity dictated that she felt like she was under constant scrutiny.

In any case, she was on her way to the Lunch Hall now, her classes done for the day.  She'd heard they were serving steak today, and her mouth watered at the thought.  Steak sounded wonderful.  Especially if they had grilled vegetables to go with it.  Or steamed ones.  Especially summer squash and zucchini with onions and peppers.  She couldn't help but lick her lips at the thought.  She'd avoided the bar-b-que at the 4th of July celebration since she was on clean up duty, only grabbing a veggie burger to satisfy her growling stomach, but now she really wanted a bar-b-que.  She wondered if there were grills on the grounds like they had at state parks back home.

It was during these musings that she noticed a familiar form walking down the hall.  It was the boy who'd gotten lost last week.  While she remembered the whole encounter, she was perhaps a bit kinder in her memories to her own actions than what had really happened.  Sydni was not really one to bitchy or snippy, but she had been so Rudra.  Her memory, though, let her neglect that.  "Hey, Rudra?" she called out as she hurried to catch up.  "Hey, how's Ezra doing?"  She remembered how worried he'd been.  She hoped the professor was doing well.

Who:  Sydni and Miklos
What:  You do the crime, you do the time
Where:  Miklos's office
When:  After evening classes

The week had not been a total loss, contrary to Sydni's expectations.  Monday, she'd been able to spend some time with Charlie, which had definitely cheered her up a bit.  Tuesday, she'd gotten a job and had met the coolest guy ever - Starbuck.  The things she'd be able to learn from him were limitless, and he seemed more than willing to help her to learn more.  And, he seemed like a nice guy to top it off.  She'd left the surf shop with her mind spinning with all the possibilities and opportunities she'd have to discover more than she'd ever known.  The excitement had held her over until she finished her homework and had climbed into bed.  It was then she remembered she had to meet with Miklos on Wednesday, and the dread had hung heavy over her all day.  In fact, she hadn't been able to much of anything all day.  She hadn't even attempted breakfast, and lunch had been a few crackers she'd forced herself to munch on.  Dinner was the same.

After finishing her "dinner", she attempted to work on her homework, barely succeeding in focusing at all on her studies.  When evening classes finally ended, she set her books aside and started toward Miklos's office.  She normally would have left early, but he had a class and wouldn't have been there if she'd arrived early.  Just walking to his office, she felt like her stomach was going to revolt.  That would certainly be impressive during their meeting.  Normally, a thought like that would have amused her - due to its absolute absurdity - enough to calm her.  Right now, it only made her feel worse.

Sydni'd imagined all sorts of scenarios for this meeting.  But the worst ones were when she could just see the disappointment in his face.  He didn't even say anything.  And as for the punishment... canceling the independent study.  What if he sent her home?  That had caused several moments of panic at various times throughout the day.  If that had been the case, wouldn't the administration have told her?  She didn't know.  It seemed odd to have a guide be the one to administer discipline.  She thought guides were supposed to be like guidance counselors, and guidance counselors were purposely separated from administering discipline to build the proper rapport with students.  The school did things differently here, obviously, so maybe Miklos would be the one to tell her to leave.

The various scenarios continued to run through her mind as she walked to his office, and she found herself at his door sooner than she'd expected, or wanted.  She had to stop herself several feet from his door to calm herself - she felt sick, and she noticed her hands were shaking like she was in withdrawal.  She hated confrontation to where it was probably a phobia.  Funny that - she was here about getting in a fist fight.

Finally gathering herself together enough to not fall apart the instant she opened the door, she walked the last few feet to his door and knocked.  Her hand was still shaking slightly, so she couldn't knock very hard without abusing the door.  "Professor Lazlofi?"  Somehow, her voice was steady, though very soft, practically a whisper.  She was finding it hard to breathe, so now she had to worry about fainting on top of vomiting.  Really, the only thing she was worrying about right now was what Miklos would say.  Things like breathing were only her second concern at this point.

Who: Charlie and Sydni
When: Monday, early evening
Where: one of the pool rooms (I think there's more than one?)

Monday again, and Charlie was feeling better about this one than the last. For starters, he didn't have the 'hangover' he'd felt after his binge on Val's blood like the previous week. Well, not totally. Charlie was still suffering from a degree of withdrawal. But his hands weren't physically shaking anymore, and he had regained some focus. He was able to go more than a minute without thinking about Val, without licking his lips hoping to taste her upon them.

Still, wasn't an easy day. He only had three classes each day, but he was only planning on attending two of them. Being around Cassius was just too damn difficult. He'd forced himself to attend Bloodlust last week, but the distraction was nearly unbearable. He physically had to hold onto his desk to keep from bolting. He needed to make a change, or he'd never learn a damn thing about control. Maybe Charlie was running away from his problem, but he didn't see how he could deal with it right now. Perhaps later he'd have enough composure to hold it together in that class.

For now though, he collected his belongings after his Supernatural Races class, and briefly talked to Sydni. He was confident she wouldn't bail on him, so Charlie said his 'goodbye' of sorts and headed back to his room to change, and Sydni did the same.

She hadn't looked good. Granted, she looked a hell of a lot better than most people looked after getting their noses broken, because it was healing fast, but the damage was still visible to him. He'd broken his nose years ago, and he'd looked like absolute shit for quite a while. It was an extremely painful injury too, and he imagined quick healing or not, Sydni wasn't feeling so great at the moment. Hopefully a soak in the hot tub would calm the body and mind and ease some of her suffering. He knew she was mentally stressed as well. Totally understandable considering all that had happened between her and Davia.

Within ten minutes of leaving class, Charlie had returned to his room, changed into his swim trunks, and arrived in the pool room. He spent a lot of time in the hot tub, probably more so than he would have in his 'previous life'. The heat was just so damn soothing. Made him feel like he was human again to have that wet warmth surrounding him. Same was true with sex. It felt good to have a sweaty body pressed up against his own.

He set his keys, cell, and towel down on a table and slipped off his flip flops. A second later, Charlie eased his body down into the steaming water, letting out a sigh that turned into a groan of sorts. His eyes closed, and he let his head fall back to rest on the ledge of the hot tub. Charlie took deep breaths, as pointless as it was, and tried to let go of all the shit bouncing off the walls of his brain.

Who:  Starbuck and Sydni
What:  A job, an intro, and a tour
Where:  Surf Shop and around the island.

Sydni was relieved.  In what looked to be a shitty week, there was one ray of sunshine.  She was now employed!  The last time she had rented The Azure, she’d noticed the Help Wanted sign at the Surf Shop, but she’d held off to make sure her class schedule would allow for it.  Now, she didn’t really care if her class schedule allowed for it.  When she was stressed, she needed something to occupy her time, and overworking was something she did well.  Add to that her penchant for throwing financial worries onto her list of anxieties when she was stressed, and gainful employment suddenly fit her schedule.

She had been at least partially reasonable and requested that she only work weekends, though she’d be willing to pick up a shift now and then during the week when needed.  Kyle had been impressed with her extensive experience, and being pretty laid back to begin with, agreed to her scheduling request.  He’d also told her to go introduce herself to Starbuck, the employee in the shop right now, and have him give her a tour.

So, there she was standing like an idiot in the doorway to the back hall, trying to calm her heartbeat.  Dammit, how the hell was she supposed to teach a whole freaking class when she couldn’t introduce herself to a coworker?  She was more than qualified for being a dive instructor, except for holding the actual certificate.  Oh, and the being comfortable with speaking to strangers.

She recognized Starbuck.  His name, anyway.  Both Frankie and Charlie had mentioned him.  And he had posted a welcome in her journal.  She remembered him saying that he could speak animals, and her heart beat faster for a different reason.  She couldn’t imagine anything cooler, seriously.

With that burst of curiosity, Sydni’s courage was boosted enough for her to walk across the shop and flash a nervous smile.  “Starbuck?  I’m Sydni.”  She offered her hand as she continued, “Kyle just hired me as a dive instructor.  He said you could show me around?”

Who:  Sydni and Davia
Where:  Lunch Hall
What:  Dhampir v. Werewolf, courtesy of the gossip rag

Sydni's whole body hurt when she woke up Saturday afternoon.  It had been like that every time, with the aches and pains not just in her muscles, but in her bones.  She figured part of it was because running around all night like that used muscles she never used.  Correction, muscles she didn't normally have.  Sort of, anyway.  Vaguely, she tried to remember if she had gotten a hold of any rabbits.  Why Miklos was more concerned about bunnies than any other critter she could have snacked on, she didn't know.  She also couldn't remember clearly.  She could remember hearing the screams of some animal, and she suddenly felt like she could taste the blood, causing her to shudder and gag.  She needed a shower, stat.

The shower felt great on her aching body, and she turned it up as hot as she could stand it.  Of course, that meant the air was heavy when she stepped out, so the cool of the hallway was welcome when she passed through it on the way to her room.  Quickly she dried her hair, simply for the fact that she hated how wet hair soaked her shirt, and pulled on a pair of slightly ragged jean shorts and an old college shirt.  She slipped her feet into a pair of flip flops and grabbed her phone and keys on the way out the door.  She didn't even turn on her laptop.

Walking down the hallway she sent a text to Charlie, as he'd asked.  It was sweet that he was worrying about her.  It also made her worry a little less about him.  If he was worrying about someone else, his problems weren't consuming him nearly as much as they had been earlier that week.  At least, that's what she thought.

She figured once she grabbed some serious chow, she'd head back to her room and do some homework, and a bit of research for her independent study.  Figure out exactly what she wanted to explore.  Then, maybe she'd take another crack at that book she'd borrowed from Miklos.  It was tough to understand because it was literary criticism of books she'd never read, not to mention the philosophical overtones drawn from a culture with which she was totally unfamiliar.  She thought maybe she'd Google the books, too - just get the Wikipedia summary so the criticism could maybe be a bit clearer.

Finally reaching the caf, she loaded up on food.  Everything looked awesome she was so hungry.  She managed to keep it rather healthy - salad was looking super awesome, and she made a wrap with hommus and more veggies.  And cheese!  If there was one high-fat food she could not do without, it was cheese.  And chocolate.  But, there was no chocolate here today.  She also grabbed a slice of pizza.  She could eat pizza every meal, seriously.    Figuring that was enough to start, she went to go grab a seat.

Who:  Miklos and Sydni
Where:  Miklos's office
What:  More classes?  Is she crazy?  Nope, just needs distractions.

Concentration was beyond Sydni's power at this point.  The full moon was tomorrow and she was still concerned about Charlie.  He really had been a hermit this week, and that was no good, in her opinion.  She also had not heard from Justina.  Not that Justina owed her the time of day, but she wanted to hear her voice and know she was ok.  Add in to the mix her being miffed that the one class she wanted to take with her guide was in conflict with a class she felt she needed to take.  She could have taken Astronomy, but that just wasn't as interesting as Philosophy to her. 

Pushing aside her unfinished homework, she decided she could at least do something about the class.  She hoped Miklos had the time to do an independent study.  She hadn't really thoroughly thought through a proposal, but once she talked to Miklos she figured he could help give her an idea of a solid objective for the course.  She knew so little about philosophy she didn't know where to start.  She figured she could do something broad and sweeping, or something more focused like on a specific era or something.  She needed Miklos's advice.

Not wanting to take chances anymore, Sydni removed her sacred jewelry and headed down the howls to Miklos's office.  She knew he would be in since she had checked his office hours earlier that week.  Good thing she had, as she'd planned on going on Friday, but his office hours were late, and she would have been slaughtering small animals and in no condition for a coherent conversation.

Prowling through the halls, Sydni didn't feel timid this time.  Firstly, she had already met Miklos once, and she had enjoyed speaking with him.  Secondly, the full moon made her feel powerful, and it curbed her usual apprehension.  The only apprehension she felt was that he might say no.  She'd be diving for sure this weekend, if that were the case.  She was being told no all over the place, and that would be her slight little rebellion against the powers that ruled the school.  But, she was so excited about the possibility that she hadn't really let herself think that he would say no.

Reaching her destination, Sydni knocked lightly on the door.  "Professor Lazlofi?" she said just loud enough for him to hear, she hoped.

Who:  Kenzie and Sydni
What:  A sudden meeting
Where:  Lunch Hall

Being as frazzled as she was, Sydni was not sure how she'd make it through the week to Friday.  She was already anxious because Charlie hadn't contacted her at all.  After his breakdown Thursday night, she didn't think his sire appearing out of nowhere was going to be at all helpful.  There was too much guilt and anger, and she worried more for his mental well-being than his physical well-being.  It was a dark road to travel, and she was afraid he would bury himself walking it alone.

Add to that her betrayal of Justina, and her concerns now for Frankie and Davia, and she was an emotional mess.  She didn't dare call Justina, but she desperately wanted to find out if she was ok.  Of course she wasn't, but she wanted to comfort her, despite being the one who had caused the pain in the first place.  Davia seemed like a confused teenager sometimes and she worried that she'd end up hurt or in a dangerous situation.  Teenagers did that - got into trouble because their risk-assessment centers weren't fully developed.  She also felt a bit guilty, knowing that Davia had a crush on her and she'd had to turn her down.  Another broken heart caused by her, good job.  And then Frankie was upset about Clove.  And that was definitely something not in her power to fix.

Distracted by these thoughts, Sydni was only paying attention to the partially hidden table away from the general cluster in the center of the hall.  She hoped no one else snagged it before she got there.  She didn't want company, and she didn't want to find a new table for herself.  Of course, as busy as the caf was, she should have been paying attention to the people around, at least enough to avoid them.  This became painfully clear when she crashed into a small form that scurried in front of her.  Luckily, she hadn't gotten her food, yet.  Unfortunately for the person she'd walked into, he had.  Loads of pizza.  It looked like a pizza joint had exploded on his shirt and the floor in front of him.

A string of uncharacteristic curses streamed from her mouth as she bent to help pick up the mess.  Unable to hide the aggravation, she snapped, "I'm sorry."  Well, that wasn't sincere.  Trying again, she softened her words a bit, "I didn't see you coming.  You ok?"  She finally looked up at the poor guy, concern beginning to overwrite the frustration on her face.

Who: Kristi, Sydni
When: Thursday, Lunch
Where: Dining Hall
What: Munchies-R-Us

----

Kristi could not quite remember a time in his life when he'd had such a hectic, blindingly full schedule. He was three point five days into a five day week, and, so far as simple timekeeping and assignments were concerned, had managed to stay afloat. Much like his earliest swimming lessons during vacation, though, the ice-blonde European was crackingly positive that the motions he was going through were incredibly ungraceful.

He barely made it to class on time, especially after the short siesta gap he'd left for himself in the afternoon. Getting through the actual classes was a mixture between struggle and free-fall; it was virtually impossible to sleep through any of the classes he'd enrolled for, but Kristi was Kristi, and sometimes catnaps simply happened. It was Summer, wasn't it? Homework assignments somehow had to be done, and on this Kris was having very few issues - when he got over the nagging case of Chronic Procrastination that automatically dogged the steps of every student alive (or, in some cases, not).

Whatever the methods he used, Kris had yet to blow off classes, miss deadlines, or be called on his small classtime snoozes. Languages were no problem; they came as easily as breathing. Verb conjugation was simple logic in all cases, and the additional benefit of having a photographic memory only helped it. The morning classes were a little harder. Thus, as a companion to lunch, he had one of the books Teacher-WhatsHerName had recommended on the reading list. Something to skim through.

Kris did that skimming whilst eating; his lunch, as it was every day, was a half-hearted affair that involved an apple, some bottled water, and the occasional use of teeth. The book, as he'd expected, was drier than the Sahara, and frequently the blue of his eyes meandered over the people slash creatures occupying the dining hall. Distraction, salvation, whatever you wanted to call it, came in the form of a werewolf who hadn't yet eaten him. What did a werewolf eat for lunch? Pastries, if Kristi remembered right. He caught Sydni's eye, and snapped his book shut while beckoning her over.

"So what does a werewolf eat for lunch?" The question came instead of a more conventional hello, delivered in blithe, Kristi fashion.

Who: Simon and Sydni
When: Some ungodly hour, like 5am
Where: Lakeside
What: The making of a new friend


Unlike most teenage boys, Simon felt invigorated when he got himself up early. Many studies have shown that the teenage brain does not function well before the hour of 8:00 AM, but none of these studies accounted for supernatural beings. Maybe that's why I'm so strange, Simon thought to himself. More likely than not it was due to his having been awoken every morning at 4:30 for prayer. His mother had been a Fundamentalist Christian, and a strict one at that. "God did not give us daylight so we could ignore it," she had always said. "Every sunrise is a miracle." And every sunrise was a miracle, at least as far as Simon was concerned. It showed how perfectly life went on despite all the insanity that happens around us.

His sneakers were almost silent as he crept through the deserted hallways and out the front door. The curfew for those under eighteen was 10pm, but surely there was no curfew as to when students could leave in the morning. Still, he didn't want to risk being caught just in case there was. The air outside caressed his cheeks, and he inhaled deeply. It seemed like ages since he had been outdoors. There was something about nature that he had always secretly craved- the cleanness of it, the purity. The freedom. The fact that you're part Nymph, he reminded himself. Well yes, there was that, too.

Despite himself he headed straight for the grand oceanside. Simon had never been to the ocean before. There had been a lake parked in his backyard, so he had always been around a somewhat large body of water. (This fact was not always pleasing, as he held a somewhat paralyzing fear of water.) Still, the lake in Cullman hadn't prepared him for the vastness of the ocean. The school loomed at his backside and the water spread on forever before him. It was absolutely staggering. He walked close to the water, but not close eniugh to step onto the beach. There was a voice in the back of his head telling him that if he got too close, a wave would come crashing up and he would be swallowed into the abyss. He shivered at the mere thought. So instead, he sat himself along the edge of the shoreline and looked out, watching the sky lighten with each passing second.

Who:  Charlie and Sydni
Where:  Starts at the school, then to the ocean
What:  motorcycles and boats

Sydni was looking forward to this evening's outing quite a bit.  First of all, she hadn't been on a motorcycle since she'd last gone with her father.  It had been a while.  Secondly, she had been quite disappointed by last week and this was a chance to make it up.  Truthfully, she paid more attention to her appearance than usual, evening applying make-up.  She wasn't going to be swimming, and it certainly wouldn't be hot.  She headed down to the caf a bit early and made the rueben sandwich as promised, along with a hommus and veggie wrap for herself.  She had bought the ingredients for Charlie's sandwich earlier that day.  Even if it was just a sandwich, he had specifically said a 'good' rueben, and that's what she intended to deliver.

Packing the sandwiches and alcohol, vodka and orange juice for herself and tequila for Charlie, into a backpack, she headed out to the front of the school to meet him.  She would have actually worn something a bit lighter, but even if she would heal well, road burn would suck.  So would being burned on a hot exhaust pipe.  Instead, she'd worn jeans, black leather riding boots, a black Aerosmith tank, and a black leather jacket.  It was warm, but on the motorcycle she hoped it would be appropriate.

Being a bit nervous, she bounced on the balls of her feet as she waited.  She wasn't sure what to do, other than drink and look at the stars this time.  Last time she'd had a plan.  But she'd already shown Davia the zooplankton, and she didn't want to make a habit of showing the same things over and over again.  It would be much more interesting if they could go diving.  As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she remembered that he had made a comment about surfing.  To herself really, Sydni murmured, "Wonder if he still does..."  Night surfing would be really dangerous, all things considered.  If he did, she'd be up for learning.  Smiling, she thought about how cool it would be.

Watching as the last rays of the sunset tinged the clouds with fire, she wondered what that would be like...  Not being able to see the sun again.  Well, they could, here in the school.  But not go out.  A thought suddenly struck her, and from pensive, her expression changed to curious.  Sunlight couldn't penetrate through water...  She wondered if they went deep enough, would a vampire be safe from the sunlight?  I suppose it would depend how much sunlight was necessary to affect them on land...  Measure the UV rays and figure it out...  Contemplating the various measurements she'd need to take, Sydni became lost in thought and she leaned back against the building.

Who: Sydni and Davia
Where: On a boat, where else?
What: An evening outing

Sydni was in a truly dark mood this evening. All the rage and despair she'd been trying to keep locked away was bubbling up at the most recent obstacle in her attempt to continue her research. As if it weren't bad enough that some animal had mauled her, she'd now lost not only her livelihood, but also her passion. She was restless and plain agitated.

Trying to keep her anger at bay, Sydni had sought to satisfy herself by buying some snorkeling gear. Despite her irrational purchase, Sydni was level-headed enough not to be completely foolish. As rebellious as she could be when she became this stormy, she wouldn't put herself in needless danger. Diving at night was foolish, especially alone. And especially when she was supposed to be manning the boat. In all, though, the purchase had only made her more determined to do some diving when it was light; she was more antsy after than before.

Sydni had arrived at the surf shop early, so she could get the boat ready to go underway. Anyone watching would have thought that she had an unusually hot temper. She wasn't being particularly gentle with the equipment, and she her movements were a bit haphazard. Partially, this was a conscious effort of hers to work out some of her frustration. But mostly, it was her emotions getting the best of her.

As things became a bit more settled, including her temper, Sydni stowed away the tequila she had brought. She'd decided not to bring her drink of choice, as she knew her emotions were unpredictable enough without the influence of alcohol. And, to be honest, she wasn't sure she'd stop drinking if she started. She needed to navigate back to shore.

Once everything was in place, Sydni settled onto the deck. Closing her eyes, she tried to put her mind in a settled state. She'd already made the attempt several times today, but each time she'd found herself too antsy to finish. Maybe the lull of the waves would help this time.

Who:  Sydni and Kris
Where: On a boat off-shore
What:  A morning joy ride

This was turning out to be a lovely morning.  After the disappointment of the previous night, it was good to be on the ocean with enjoyable company.  It's too bad the plans with Charlie had fallen through - that's ok; they'd reschedule.  Truth be told, with everything going on with Justina, it was rather upsetting.  She knew it was nobody's fault.  That didn't keep her from brooding all night long.  Even this morning, she probably hadn't been the pleasantest of people.  Poor Kris may have wondered what he'd bargained for when he'd met the testy-looking were on the dock.  She'd done her best not to bite his head off, figuratively, and so had limited herself to requests for aid in getting on their way.

However, once on the ocean, Sydni's mood improved considerably.  The smell of the salt air and the cool breeze lifted her spirits considerably.  Sydni had navigated some distance along the shore-line, never really going too far off-shore; she wanted to keep it in sight for the simple reason that it was a moving island.  Instead, she was looking for a hidden cove, or some more private place to anchor.  Having found one after about an hour, Sydni anchored the boat, first consulting the instruments to be sure there were no reefs in this area.  Last thing she wanted to do was harm the environment of this island.

After anchoring, Sydni had gotten out a light brunch she'd made.  She'd forgotten to ask Kris what he liked to eat, so she'd brought a little of everything - some croissants and jam and butter; some bagels and cream cheese; fruits and cheeses; juice; water.  She would have brought coffee if she'd have thought it would have stayed hot.  Anyway, as she laid out the food, she said, "I hope you're hungry.  I'm not eating all this, and I'm not taking it back to my room.  I didn't know what you'd like, so I brought a bit of everything."  She smiled amiably to show she was mostly jesting.  She really hoped she wouldn't have to take the whole thing home.

Sitting back on the deck, Sydni squinted up through her sunglasses into the bright morning sky.  She had brought sunblock in case Kris needed some, but she had made sure to spray herself down before he arrived.  She loved the feeling of the sun on her skin.  She wasn't really a sun-worshiper, but she liked to sit in the sun till she was hot, then go for a swim to cool off.  She'd worn her bathing suit under her clothes just in case.  She wasn't sure about the waters here, so she didn't plan on jumping in unless it really got hot.

Glancing over at her companion, she asked, "So, what do you think?  Good way to spend a morning?"