Halcyon Halls

When: 8 o'clock
Where: Outside the Zephir House and then...
Who: Max and Cassandra

To say that Max had been worried over the past couple of weeks would have been an understatement. The idea that this "Jack" had taken advantage of Cassandra had his blood boiling and his dark eyes seeing red. Truth be told, the other man was lucky that he didn't just "disappear" one night. It could have been easy, one phone call to a few of his fathers friends and a snatch and grab once the bastard was away from the school. However that really wasn't Max's style and he wouldn't piss on the hospitality the school had shown in him that way. No, he would wait for now and seize the opportunity when it decided to arise.

Fortunately he now how a more positive event to focus on and that was his upcoming date with one rather stunning dark haired woman. Cassandra deserved to have a nice night out without worry of her past creeping up behind her. No, he was going to see to it that she was spoiled and treated how she deserved to be treated. She might have been a more low key girl who enjoyed simpler things but that didn't necessarily mean she wouldn't enjoy being treated like royalty for an evening. Besides, if she had any desire to spend truly date him then she would have to get used to being spoiled.

After seeing that his arrangements for dinner were still in effect, Max spent some time getting dressed and actually doing his hair. Maybe that was a bit of an overstatement but there had been gel involved while standing in front of an actual mirror so that had to count as putting some effort forth. As far as clothing went, Max decided on a suit of sorts that was more of a lazy rock star look than anything. He even went as far as putting on his newer pair of Chucks rather than the ones that were on the verge of falling apart so clearly he had been trying to look nice.

A few minutes to eight, Max slipped a small box into his pocket and headed out of his room and over to the Zephir House where he had told Cassandra to meet him. Lingering outside of the door leading into the common room, he glanced at his watch before shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks. He still had a minute or two so now all he had to do was wait.

Who: Cassandra and Mircea
When: Monday
Where: Library


Cassandra wasn't sure she'd ever been so busy! Classwork, classwork and more classwork. Granted the fact that she was having a little more trouble than normal keeping up with her work could have had something to do with the fact that all her time wasn't being spent on working her way through the piles of reading she accumulated. She might have been a little distracted now. Unfortunately distracted by more than one thing. She would have felt a great deal less bothered by this distraction if it had been attributable to only one source.

It wasn't though. Granted, the dark haired demon that had literally swept her off her feet at one point was a good part of it. There was just more. Like the odd dreams she continued to have despite her desire to control them. Or the way that she just felt something prickling oddly at her skin. If she had a better outlook on everything she was capable of, she would have paid attention to those signs and perhaps listened to what her body was trying to tell her. But... she didn't. She didn't want to allow herself to have any premonitions of what might possibly be to come, whether it was for better or worse. The slight ability she'd been able to harness seemed to be only to deny what wanted to come and it was fragile at best, but she embraced it fully.

Or maybe ignorantly was the better way to phrase it. What was natural couldn't be denied forever. That fact sat at the back of her mind always, the far back...

Concerns or no, Cassandra was intent on buckling down on her studies before the week even got started and managed to get out of control. That was why as soon as her classes were done she hightailed it to the library. She carried with her a stack of books to be returned and on her back, the books she needed to be going over while she was there. Somehow she was certain that there wouldn't be enough time but she'd do her darn best to make a dent in it all.

Using her shoulder to open the door, Cassandra did her best to not lose her grip on the tower of books she had. That was clearly her only focus as she stepped inside or she might never have made it another step inside...

Who: Cassandra and Max
When: Tuesday after classes
Where: Outside
What: FLYING.


Where had she put her backpack! Cassandra flipped her head over and peered under her desk. She'd sworn she'd just had her bag, after all she had just come back from class. Where could it have gone! Milo peered at her curiously from where he was completely ensconced in a circle of comforter on Cassandra's bed. Yes, his owner was completely losing her mind. It had something to do with the large pile of cookies and sandwiches that she'd hurried down to the cafeteria and kitchens to gather up. She just needed to empty out her backpack so she could all that in there. Oh yeah, and go out to meet Max for a bit of flying.

So maybe that was what had her a bit more scattered than normal.

It was in a good way, at least she hoped it was. She would be lying though if she wasn't a little worried. It was warm out, frustrating part of summer! But she worried that leaving hte t-shirt she had on would be pushing the boundaries of what she had worked so hard on. The necklace she always wore was helpful, there was no denying that but... Cassandra just really didn't want to ruin something that was easily the highlight of her week. Hopefully it would be. She just didn't want to turn into the lowlight...

Finally! Cassandra spied the worn blue bag under the edge of her bed. She must have kicked it there in her haste to get ready. She pulled it up and quickly emptied it of the books and notes she seemed to have in excess. The schoolwork was replaced quickly by the food she'd gathered as well as some bottles of water. That seemed the easiest thing to grab. She slung the bag over her shoulder and reluctantly grabbed a zip up sweatshirt. Better safe than sorry right... though being a hot sweaty mess while being held in the air by someone who... even Cassandra could admit it, was attractive.. wasn't exactly high on her to do list.

The experience was more important than that though right? And there would be wind, hopefully! Everything gathered up in her arms, Cassandra hurried over to give Milo a rub goodbye, promising to be back later with treats and she was out the door. Managing not to trip down the stairs with the speed at which she was moving was an accomplishment and she almost gave herself a pat on the back for it! Cassandra pushed open the large doors to the front of the school and took a moment to let her eyes adjust to the sunlight after being inside for so long. Shading her blue orbs she scanned the front of the school looking for Max.

Who: Max and Cassandra
When: Around 10PM
Where: The kitchens

Deciding to be contrary, Max chose to stay in and catch up on some reading rather than venturing out into the city. Normally Friday nights would find him seeking out some sort of music venue but there was still plenty of time for that. Tomorrow night perhaps. So tonight was focused around the stack of books that sat on his desk rather than seeking out this club a few had mentioned in reply to his journal entry. The thought of some place called Heaven and Hell didn't exactly spark any burning desire to go visit. He had a guess about what kind of people were probably there and he had never been one for crowds. Eventually he might get around to it, but he wouldn't hold his breath.

The hours seemed to slip by fast enough as he absorbed chapter after chapter. Max had always been a quick study when he put some focus into it and so he hadn't been worried about showing up after the term had already begun. Though, there was only so much reading he could do before he needed a break. He was good, but not that good.

Pushing away from his desk, he stretched out the stiff muscles in his back and arms before a low growl from his stomach caused him to chuckle. Guess it was that time again. Slipping on a pair of Chucks, he made his way down to the kitchens in search of some form of sustenance. What he really wanted were a couple of greasytacos from the Mexican place down the street from his old dorm but that was a bit out of the way.

When he arrived, he noticed a rather attractive brunette working on...something. Whatever it was, it earned another rumble from his stomach. "Smells delicious," he said as he stepped around the counter. "You up to sharing?" His mouth quirked into a sort of grin as he held out his hand. "Cassandra right? I'm Max." He definitely remembered her from the one class that they shared. If only he had known that she could make food that smelled like that, he would have been sure to introduce himself sooner.

Who: Cassandra and... (or narrative)
When: Wednesday Evening
Where: Outside, Gardens


It was far too hot to be doing this. A bead of sweat kept making an obnoxious trickle down the middle of Cassandra's back. The belt that kept her cut off jean shorts from falling off was her saving grace when it came to that evil little trickle of sweat. Why she'd decided to go out in the afternoon and do this... she'd honestly never know but something had told her to get outside and pick a spot to plant the flowers and trees she'd always wanted to for Sarah and Jeremiah.

And after waiting this long to do it... she wasn't about to ignore that particular voice.

So she'd done the best she could in deference to the heat. The oldest pair of jeans she owned was cut off to sit just above her knees and she'd even managed to wear a tank top. Walking through the halls she'd felt halfway naked but by the time she hit the heat and humidity outside... she was infinitely grateful for the sacrifice in clothing. What she had forgotten and realized a bit too late as she sat back on her heels and rubbed her dirty palms on her thighs. Sunscreen.

Cassandra could see it on her forearms. The pale skin already turning a lovely shade of pink. If Cassandra cursed, she would have let loose with a long litany of words, instead though she just stared at her arms and wished she hadn't forgotten something as simple as sunscreen. It never faded to a tan. Just peeled and peeled some more before returning to the same porcelain color she always was. But of course before the peeling came the pain. And that she would have for a good long while.

It was worth it though. She glanced over at the pile of weeds and other brambles that she'd pulled free from a small sloping area not far from one of the turrets of the castle. The small swell of land would do well for a place to set up a memorial for the two who had passed away earlier that year. Too suddenly and too... well Cassandra didn't really speak of what she knew when it came to their deaths. It was still hard for her, it was never easy to know someone was going to pass but to be able to do nothing to change that course. She tried to remember that a long time had since passed and now was not the time to dwell over the pain of their deaths. Instead she just wanted to do what she could now to remember them in a good way.

Spot cleared and plans already formulating in her head, she'd have to talk to Kalli next about plants. She'd know more than Cassandra did. Well next up would be... doing something about the bright pinkness that was now most definitely covering most of her body and... Cassandra looked down at the small watch that encircled her wrist... She'd missed her class! That put a look of shock and surprise into her features. How had she let herself get so caught up in this as to miss her evening class.

Oh my. She was going to have to get notes from someone and apologize to her teacher.

Who: Ada and Cassandra (Rhett later)
What: Sister time
Where: Outside, but beginning in Zephyr House
When: Thursday evening

Ada sat cross-legged on her bed looking at the pictures she'd found boxed away in her apartment in Nashville. That was the bad thing about subletting, anything you didn't want screwed all to hell had to be put in storage. These pictures were certainly on that list of things. The images she was looking at were copies of the originals she'd found. She couldn't just part with the only ones she had, after all. The new prints had better color quality than the others because of that 'touch up' service at the printing shop, but that was just a random thought that didn't really have any bearing on the situation.

She had put them together in a small photo album for Cassie. They were arranged as chronologically as best she could manage it since she'd never been one to date her photos very well. The first was one of Ada holding Cassandra as a newborn. She had one of those ubiquitous pink "I'm A Big Sister" shirts on and was grinning from ear to ear even if she wasn't quite holding her baby sister exactly right. There were several more like that when Cassandra was really little, most taken around Christmas time. Ada 'helping' her open presents under the tree (because really, what kid didn't want MORE paper to rip?), Ada holding a doll, mimicking the way her grandma was holding Cassandra. Time went on and Cassie was walking in the photos. Easter egg hunting--Ada holding a basket for both of them in one hand, and Cassie's hand in the other. Halloween--Cassie as a pumpkin and Ada as a fairy. Always smiling. There were family pictures as well, with the entire group of them, but Ada hadn't found as many of those. She hadn't held on to them.

The last pictures were just before Ada got sent off to boarding school and everything went bad. Ada would be singing on a karaoke machine, her favorite toy ever, while Cassandra looked on or joined in. Looking back, Ada thought that smiling as much as she had then might make her face hurt now. She wasn't used to it any more. That part of her childhood hadn't been all happy, not even close, but the moments captured on film made it seem that way. Finally, looking at her watch, she saw it was time to go meet up with her now grown-up little sister. She woke Emmylou up from where she'd curled on Ada's pillow, snapped the pink leash onto her collar, and carried the little pup down the stairs so that she wouldn't fall. Walking with a short-legged puppy made the trip to Zephir take a little longer than usual, but that was all right. She followed someone else inside and walked to the girls dorms, found Cassie's door, and knocked.

Who: James and Cassandra
When: Saturday Night
What: A date

James, as always, had taken much care in his appearance. He had showered, shaved, had a facial, pedicure, and manicure the day before. His hair had been trimmed and it was styled perfectly, every strand in just precisely the right spot. His clothes were, as always, named brand and impeccable. He had on a pair of nice jeans, straight legged, loose, dark wash, and a white t-shirt. His feet were boot clad, black leather, and he wore a suit jacket, also done in black, perfectly tailored to fit his form, bringing the entire outfit together. He was ready to show Cassandra a good time. By the end of the night, he planned to have her hooked on him. If anyone could make Natalia jealous, he was certain that a girl as lovely as Cassandra would.

Flowers in hand, he arrived at the front doors shortly before seven o'clock in the evening. He held the bouquet behind his back, mostly wildflowers and lilies as she struck him as the type of girl who would enjoy something like that much more than roses. He glanced down at his watch and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. A smirk graced his lips as a girl walking by did a double take to check him out. He laughed a little and shook his head when she nearly ran into a wall in doing so. Cute, but certainly not his type. The scent of Drakkar Noir mingled with the fresh scent of the flowers. He wanted a cigarette, but wouldn't smoke, not wanting to smell like an ashtray when she arrived.

Who: Jasper, Micah and Cassandra
When: Wednesday Evening
Where: Jasper's dorm room


Had it already been a week and a half? Cassandra could hardly believe that fact. But looking at the small planner she kept in her bag to keep track of dates and school assignments... it had been just that. But what glared up at her like a flashing fluorescent light was the Friday that was circled in red pen. That was the day that they were headed back to Halcyon. It seemed all too close all of a sudden.

It wasn't that Cassandra didn't want to go back to the school. She loved Halcyon, loved the classes and the sense of community there that she'd had for the first time in almost all her memory. She loved that she had family there and that she had friends. But she would be the first to say that it hadn't entirely been the same since Jasper left. Quiet as he could be... he was one of the first people she had met at the school aside from Sarah, God rest her soul. Micah and Jasper meant the world to her. Without them... she doubted that she would feel half as comfortable at the school as she did.

So really her reluctance to leave only had to do with the fact that she'd truly miss Jasper when they headed back to Halcyon and he remained here at this fantastic school.

It was almost too fantastic and by that Cassandra just meant that it was almost overwhelming. Well it was overwhelming. But then again Halcyon still tended to have that effect on her sometimes. So a human college full of students running to classes and socializing... easily had that effect. But she liked to think that she had weathered it through the tour of the school that Jasper had given and just the general time they had spent on campus.

Granted it was all a whole lot easier when she was with two people she trusted.

The whole dorm situation was still odd, well the fact that she was having to use the girls restrooms in another hallway and the fact that they were all crammed into Jasper's room. Thankfully it was a single! It was late but Cassandra had spent most of the day just catching up on reading in Jasper's room while he was in class and Micah was off doing whatever it was that Micah was up to that day. So the shower she'd taken had come rather late in the day. Her hair was still in a towel when she made it back to the room, though she was fully dressed thank you very much. Her typical attire, t-shirt and jeans. She wondered if she should try and find something nicer and maybe suggest they all go get something to eat... but it kind of seemed like an expense that wasn't necessary.

Cassandra was just happy spending time with the two of them. They just both needed to get back to the room!

Who: Kalli, Micah, Cassandra
When: After Classes
Where: Outside

If anyone had met Kalli in the last few weeks they'd probably describe her as quiet and shy. Usually she couldn't be any further away from those two words, but they had been fairly accurate lately. After getting back from her trip home she felt a little torn, wishing she could exist in two places at once. It weighed heavily on her mind for awhile, and seemed to damper her usually vibrant personality.

The school was so beautiful, and the people there only added to it's beauty. Kalli felt at home in the school as much as anywhere else she had been. But she had also made a promise to herself that if she ever found someone she could call "family" she'd fight tooth and nail to keep it. And Kalli did find that family, only she wasn't with them. She couldn't help but wonder if she was betraying a part of herself in not being with them, and the only way she could describe how she was feeling was 'torn between two places.' What could she do? Stay at the school and leave something she had wanted for the better part of 26 years, or go home and spend the rest of her life wondering what could have been at the school? There were so many questions rattling in Kalli's head for the last few weeks. Did her priorities change? Was that okay? Why was she even putting so much thought into it?

It became clear that Kalli needed time to think so she took a little hiatus from her outgoing self to do a little soul searching. She couldn't feel like she was cheating herself for much longer, she needed to figure out where she should be and she needed to make sure she was comfortable with it. A week was all it took though. Soon, she was her usual vibrant self, perhaps even more so now that the sun was finally shining. Her decision was resting peacefully - even though it hurt a little that she couldn't mother her adopted siblings, knowing that her family supported her being at the school made the choice a lot easier. At Halcyon she would stay!

( In fact today... )

When: 8PM sharp!
Where: Outside Zephir and then...XD
Who: Braden and Cassandra
What: A date!
Rating: Smutastic for sure.

Braden had spent a fair amount of time researching human mating rituals to feel somewhat comfortable with this whole date idea. Television had played a large part in his "education" and any holes that needed to be filled were done so by the white box and something called Google. Though he had to admit that a lot of the information that came up was rather scandalous. Who knew that human females could put themselves in such interesting...positions? And with multiple partners! It really was mind-boggling when it came down to it but fortunately Braden was bright enough to know that situations like those were not normal by any stretch of the imagination. Though they were interesting to watch. For the sake of research purposes of course.

Having learned that the key to a successful date meant insuring that the female was happy, he took great care in finding out what he could about Cassandra. He discovered that she rather enjoyed something called Italian food and so he made arrangements for...well, she would find out soon enough, wouldn't she? A bit of extra time was spent trying to come up with something suitable to wear for the evening as well. Since he was trying to go about this the proper way, he felt that new human garments were in order and spent the afternoon shopping for such. Fortunately he found a suitable outfit that the saleswoman had approved of and he had to admit that these jean leggings were fairly comfortable. Who knew.

When it was time to escort his date to their destination, he grabbed the bouquet of flowers he had picked up and headed off for the Zephir house. A smile was flashed as he neared the designated meeting location and he gave a low bow once he stood before the lovely Cassandra. "For you my lady," he grinned as he stood and handed over the flowers. "Are you ready to embark?" There were certain elements of his date that needed to be seen to in a timely manner so they really did need to get a move on.

Who: Ada and Cassandra
What: Confessions
Where: Walking outside the school
When: Thursday afternoon

Ada didn't want to do this. At the moment, she didn't really want to do anything. She was exhausted, an emotional wreck, and just felt... numb. It was hard to get up for class, but Rhett came and made sure she was awake, and she struggled through the day. Creative writing? Like she was in the mood to write a short story. The rest of the day just dragged on, but she didn't want to get to the afternoon. Didn't want to face Cassandra and the disappointment she knew was coming.

But eventually, Inner Beast Control did end. She had tried to pay attention because it was important and all, but focus was evasive, especially today. Right after class, she dumped her bag back in her room and headed to the main entrance to meet her sister.

That was still strange to her, even after six months. She had family here, family she had a chance to have a real relationship with, and what was she doing? Throwing it all away. At first she hadn't made the effort because it was awkward, and then she'd won the sister of the year award by avoiding her because of drugs. Yeah, Ada felt like a wonderful person right about now. She was guilty as hell, and the only thing to do was fess up and deal with it.

Really, she wouldn't have been surprised if Cassie decided to peace out. Other people had done it, and she didn't blame them. Shit like this was too much to deal with. She was glad she had Rhett to count on. Still, the nagging worry that he would leave, too, managed to plant itself firmly in her head. Doubts were easier to come by right now than confidence.

Finally she made it to the doors and stepped outside. At least the weather was nice, warm and sunny. Being outside of the building also did a little to soothe her, appealing to her inner beast or something. She drew in a deep breath and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. When she opened her eyes again it was still sunny, and she still felt like shit. Wasn't that just a lovely contradiction.

Who: Cassandra and Jasper
Where: Outside by the cliffs
When: Wednesday after classes


She was happy for him. That was the fact that Cassandra had to keep reminding herself as the week had had progressed in what Cassandra was certain was light speed. Too fast. Too much to to. Too fast and in just a blink of her eye Jasper would be gone and she didn't know she was going to feel after that.

Well that wasn't entirely true. She knew that she'd be a lonelier and that she'd miss seeing him around the school and she'd miss leaving him baked goodies and miss trying to find new things that he might like since unlike Micah he didn't like sweets as much. But in the end she knew that it didn't really matter what she'd miss because that was just selfish. This was about Jasper finding something that would make him happy and that was worth all the pain of missing him in the world.

She knew what it was like to... not feel anything more than just okay. Like where you were was nothing more than just a place to live, better than some places and worse than others in the grand scheme of things. But it wasn't how you should live your life. Cassandra knew she was lucky enough to remember actually being happy. Her dad throwing her up in the air while she laughed until she thought she was going to cry. Birthday parties when she was small and even the smallest bit of time of a birthday party here until things had all gone terribly wrong. But, she had a horrible sinking feeling in her heart that Jasper hadn't even had those small moments to look back on and smile.

So if leaving the school and finding himself gave him even half the opportunity to have a moment or two of pure simple happiness... she would write him a million letters and send him boxes of cookies in the mail and miss him until she could see him again.

Cassandra had left a box of zucchini bread in front of their door with Jaspers name hand written on top of the box, a note attached that said she would be outside after classes and that he should bring those brochures and they could look at them. Outside was twofold. She knew Jasper was most comfortable with nature surrounding him and even if her race didn't require it, she always felt a bit more at ease with space around her and fresh air. It was almost painfully sunny, Cassandra was wearing a pair of cutoff shorts and a t-shirt in deference to the weather or she'd melt. She was slathered in sunscreen though since her skin was a bit too pale to stand up to any kind of sun without turning a bright painful pink. Her cheeks did that enough on their own.

A book was tucked in her lap where she sat cross-legged on the grass, but she wasn't really reading it. Rather she was looking out over the calm waters and just... thinking. Waiting.

Who: Cassandra and James
Where: the Kitchens
When: Tuesday Evening


Cassandra was out of sorts. That was all too clear by the fact that she'd almost burned the chicken that she was cooking for dinner. Chicken Piccata wasn't even all that difficult a recipe for her, but as the chicken had begun to simmer in the pan Cassandra had entirely lost track of time. Luckily she had saved it before she'd had to go as far as start it over. If anything that would have blackened her mood, something that she tried to let not happen... but on the tail of warnings about people that were talking to her and most importantly Jasper's probable leaving of the school...

She didn't know how she was supposed to be in a good mood.

But she was trying. Cooking usually helped with that. The dinner was almost done, an apple crisp was baking in the oven filling the room with the fresh scent of the apples mixed with the warm scent of cinnamon. A timer was set next to the stove, she didn't want to burn the crisp as well and at the rate she was going... it was entirely possible.

Cassandra wiped her hands on a small towel that set next to the sink. She untied the apron she wore around her waist to protect her clothes. Not because they were particularly fancy, just a simple white sweater and a pair of jeans, but because she didn't have a great deal of clothes. Not to mention as tall as she was she felt like when she found a pair of jeans that fit her legs right, they had to be protected at all costs. With the food nearly completed, she pulled her hair out of the messy ponytail that had been holding it up and out of the food she prepared. While most simple vanities went right over Cassandra's hair, she did like her hair. But maybe it was more security than vanity.

Cassandra glanced towards the doors to the kitchen. She just wasn't sure about this whole dinner thing. This James person had been nice to talk to, granted she had seen how he'd rubbed other people the wrong way. But long ago Cassandra had come to the conclusion that she really didn't see people the same way others did. Too many things that most did without any kind of recourse, she never understood. But Sam was her friend and she had warned her about him... manipulating her. It had finally sunk into Cassandra's head that maybe Sam had thought his wanting to eat with her was about something other than Cassandra saw it.

He was a new student, why wouldn't she have dinner with him and maybe give him some helpful advice when it came to the school? Anything other than that and Cassandra was fairly certain that Sam had read far too much into it. Cassandra just hated having to be so wary about people. Life had taught her there was prudence to that, but there was a sense of safety in the walls of the school. She could be hurt, but not in the ways she had been before. And as far as Cassandra was concerned, whatever happened here couldn't compare.

The rest of those hurts were just part of life and if anything she was always determined to live life now that she had the chance.

Whether he actually showed up or not, Cassandra wasn't entirely certain he would. She knew that she'd been a bit... less than her hospitable self when she'd replied to his offer. But there was something that had always bothered her when she had to be reminded of the fact that she was naive to things that everyone else found to be so important. To her there were far more important things in life and she liked to think that there were others that felt this way too. Well there were but they... well Jasper was leaving. Not that he was the only one but she just didn't know what she was going to do without him.

And there she went, she'd promised herself she wasn't going to get melancholy. Not right now. Instead Cassandra planted her elbows on the counter top and leaned forward and busied herself by flipping through a recipe book that had been left on the counter.

Who: Open to all
Where: The East Pool and connected commons room
When: Saturday Evening into Night
What: Spring Fling

Leaving the Main Hall, one can turn left or right, either way, their path is through yet more sand. To the left they will find themselves shortly in the pool room decorated similarly to the main hall. Lawn chairs, tiki torches, palm trees, and again a room lit less by florescent, more by flame and “starlight”.

This particular pool is of course, the perfect choice for this type of party. The shallow end being only inches deep and the deepening so gradual as to give the appearance of a beach leading out to sea. Sand was packed all around and completely molded into the shallowest parts, so heavily that the bits being washed away only leave even more sand beneath. Clean up, they already know, is going to be hell.

Life guards will be on duty tonight to accommodate those less aquatically-inclined, but please do be aware of the water depth, the lack of lighting, and most especially, the amount of alcohol in that drink they called a Sex on The Beach.

When you're looking to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the party, you might want to curl up on a couch in the common room. Laid back and relaxing as always, the room has now been transformed into an island cabana, but a cabana with a large screen TV playing beach movies all night long.

Who: Cassandra and Ezra
When: Wednesday, After classes
Where: Ezra's office


Cassandra was fairly certain that her backpack would make her topple over one day. That the books inside would decide to multiply at random and she, unsuspecting, would toss the blue satchel over her shoulder and the rest of her would follow suit. It would probably end up looking like someone learning to walk on stilts, all awkward limbs toppling over and winding up in the air. She really wasn't the most inherently graceful of people and there were times still that she felt as though she hadn't managed to fully grow into her height. Luckily for her, today her backpack wasn't going to be the death of her, it was just heavy as all get out.

As soon as her math class had finished up, and not a moment too soon, Cassandra really wasn't particularly enjoying the pre-algebra level she was at, always felt a bit funny being that old and that far behind in something like that, but it was what it was and she was determined to get caught up as best she could. Though sometimes she wondered if it would just be smarter to focus on the important classes and then catch up on everything else a little bit down the road. She was pretty certain she had a lot of years left here. A LOT. But unlike some people, that really didn't bother her. Actually... it made the future seem a little more bearable.

Though Cassandra wasn't the biggest fan of the future. It was kind of a pain.

Her immediate future was fairly simple. Homework. That was what it typically was and the routine was something she liked. Not that she always had to follow it but she did like to have that to fall back on. Actually she did enjoy some spontaneity, it was all about having the choice to be spontaneous or not. Probably a small distinction but if you hadn't always had that choice... it could mean a lot. Cassandra had been on her way to the library, to get a bit of the homework she had stacked up in her backpack done before a trip to the cafeteria was in order when... the spontaneity bug hit her.

There was that really nice teacher. If she were still in Divination he'd be her teacher, she was thinking of going back to that class next term. He had said to come stop by his office hadn't he? Hopefully he had because instead of the library, Cassandra found her feet taking her in the direction of his office. Even found her knuckles rapping on his door.

When: Night
Where: Commons Room
Who: Jasper and Cassandra

A movie night. It was still sort of odd to Jasper to plan something like that. Typically if it were anyone but his brother asking he would politely refuse and probably spend his night buried in a book or take a walk around the school for awhile. Jasper was the sort of person that preferred to read a story rather then view one. More then that though he never quite knew how to act when it came to stuff like that. Were you supposed to stay quiet through the whole movie? Were you supposed to comment on everything? It was all sort of confusing for him. But since Cassandra was the one asking and he felt more comfortable around her then a lot of others he had agreed just like the time before.

Plus with so many people out tonight in the city it was pretty unlikely that anyone would happen upon the small commons room that they planned to watch the movie in. It was sort of secluded one, off down a hallway that most never used. It was a commons room that Jasper often hide away in to read when the weather outside just was too difficult to try to find shelter in.

Through the day Jasper had stayed to his room though which was pretty unlike him. But he wanted to catch Micah before he left for whatever he had planned for the night. It wasn’t that he really had anything he needed to say or anything. He just liked to actually see his brother from time to time. Micah was always out and about and the two didn’t really cross paths all that often. Jasper was used to it but every now and again he managed to make sure he’d cross his brother’s path for awhile.

From the room he did some work on the computer though. Helping out some teachers he ordered rare books, helped organize files, and even reviewed some online tests for a class and sent an email to the teacher with notes on what he thought was good and what would be better reworded so it wouldn’t sound like a trick question. He liked being helpful and he knew the teachers appreciated it which was all the payment Jasper needed for tasks like that.

Like he had thought just before sunset his brother came crashing into the room. Set to get ready for something or another. They hung out for a little bit but Jasper didn’t want to make Micah late for whatever he was doing, Jasper’s guess was the club to listen to the music by local bands. And he didn’t want to be late in meeting Cassandra, late was something Jasper didn’t like to be at all. Even if it was just a meeting with friends or something casual..he always tried to be early all the same.

It was also his job to bring snacks apparently so he had to make sure to leave himself time to go by the cafeteria.

A hooded sweatshirt was tugged on over a plain black tshirt. Jeans were ragged and worn but Jasper didn’t mind. His shoes had seen better days, really all the outfit had, but Jasper was comfortable. He gave a wave to Micah before leaving, his bag slung over his shoulder that would soon enough be filled with some snacks. Popcorn, veggies and dip, juice, he wasn’t the chips and soda type.

A little early Jasper found himself in the commons room, the snacks put on the table before he tucked himself away near to the window to smoke. He preferred to go outside but he didn’t think he had time. So just having his head nearly out the window while he smoked would have to do.

Who: Starbuck and Cassandra
When: Wednesday Evening
Where: Saltwater pool

Face your fears. Face your fears. That was what had kept Cassandra's feet moving towards the swimming pool. It wasn't so much the water that terrified her though. She had no qualms about the wet stuff itself. Well aside from possibly sinking like a stone in it, but that was why she had ever intention of just hanging out in the shallow end for a while and given the fact that she was way too tall for her own good, that should mean a seriously decreased risk of drowning. Thank God!

Instead, her body wanted to turn around because she knew she was going to have to take off the oversized sweatshirt and jeans she was wearing and walk around in next to nothing. She was not comfortable with that idea. She felt... too exposed. She'd... felt that way too often with the way her life had been before she came to Halcyon. Granted it was different, far from sexualized which was the feeling that most got from wearing little clothing but to Cassandra it was all much the same. A stripping away of protections that meant a lot to her, she was only just getting back the ability to make decisions for herself, a sense of freedom however limited. Maybe it was a little thing to worry about but it bothered her just the same. Though she was trying not to show it, or at least she was trying to conquer it by at least showing up and trying this today.

She had the swimsuit that Ada had given her on though. Tucked well underneath the light blue sweatshirt that hung baggy around her. She'd looked at it in the mirror and it had covered everything that it should. Though the top portion of the burn mark she carried on her chest rose above the stretchy fabric no matter how much tugging Cassandra did. The suit that Sam had let her borrow had the same problem. So that was just the way it was going to be.

She found her way to the pool and Cassandra knew she was early. The room was quiet, just sound of the filter system humming in the background. The pool was big. Huge. Gah. Inside, Cassandra toed her shoes off and left them by a chair that she scooted closer to the edge of the pool. Looking around for a moment she shucked her jeans off and laid them carefully on the arm of the chair and let her sweatshirt follow suit. The lighting in the room made it feel like her pale skin was about to glow. That was kind of scary! It also made the long jagged scars on her wrists stand out more than normal. Not that there was a normal, especially considering Cassandra's wardrobe of exclusively long sleeved shirts. Well nothing doing there. The way it had to be since apparently when you went swimming you had to be practically naked.

Crouching down slightly, Cassandra dipped one toe in experimentally. Wasn't cold, wasn't hot. She placed her palms flat on the ground and sat down, letting her feet dangle in the water kicking slightly. Okay it felt nice and so far no drowning. But that was as far as she was going without someone else there.