Re: Blood Sonata

by **Masquerade** Thu Jan 17, 2013 12:15 am

After hanging out with Alex, Marya felt much more at ease as she pedaled home on her bicycle in the dark. She made it home and had crashed into bed without speaking to her parents; hopefully they wouldn't get any bad ideas. Slumber came quite quickly despite what she had been going through, and the fact that it was a dreamless sleep only made it that much sweeter. How long would she be able to relish this? There was no telling. However, nothing was on her mind until the next morning when she awoke and had to struggle to get out of bed, instantly grabbing her Nintendo DS as a means of trying to get herself woken up fully. The days continued to pass, and it was eventually back to school, even if it was a short week thanks to Thanksgiving, ironically enough. Marya's parents were talking about staying in the area this year, once again something that Marya was thankful for. For the past few years, they had been bound to staying in Arkham to take care of their mentally ill daughter. Before that, they had traveled to spend time with family in Nevada. This year, however, they had decided it would be in Marya's best interest to stay home and just have a small Thanksgiving at the house. This was for the best in the case any of her friends needed her.

School went on like normal...or at least as normal as things could be when it came to being super strong with sensitive sight and hearing completely above par when it came to a normal human. Marya found herself noticing many new things, some of which she cared not to notice but was left with no choice. Luckily, her schoolwork didn't suffer, even though she spent a lot of time daydreaming in class for some reason. She used to be a really attentive student, but that declined after the psychosis, and even more so now that all these events had taken place. She found herself gazing out the window of the classrooms while her powerful ears listened and her hand pretty much just automatically transcribed the notes onto paper. She always made it a point to read them later, and it wasn't like doing homework was some trivial matter or anything. She just went through the motions until finally, the time had come.

A phone call. It was from Alex, and he was apparently calling for them all to meet up once again, probably to discuss what happened to the most recent victim of the lake mystery and to decide on their next course of action. Marya was at home lying in bed reading a manga when she got the call, so she tossed it aside. It made her wish that she had done her homework instead, but there was always time for that later. Heading downstairs, she found her mom in the kitchen. "I'm going over to Alex's. My other friends are going to be there," she said rather quickly, grabbing the knob of the side door and opening it.

"What about your dinner? Are you going to be late?" her mom retorted faster than Marya could make her escape. Not like it mattered. Her parents trusted her friends; they also trusted their daughter's judgement. Even though they could get extremely protective of her due to her prior illness, they still wouldn't smother her knowing that it would just drive her away.

"Put it in the microwave for me? I'll try not to be too late."

"All right, all right. Just call if it gets dark and you haven't made it back yet."

Marya gave her affirmation before taking off out the door, closing it behind her. She pinpointed her bike leaning up against the house before making mad dash towards it, coming to a halt by its side in less than a couple seconds flat, granted it wasn't exactly far away. She hopped upon the seat and tore through the side yard until she was out front and on the street. It was a short ride to Alex's, but Sophie had apparently beaten her there. She leaned her bike against Alex's porch. A recollection passed through her mind about his parents not having come back yet. She was going to ask if everything was all right with that hole she had put in the wall via the tossed soup bowl, but she figured it was irrelevant for now. Walking up to the door, she stood beside Sophie, awaiting an answer from Alex.

"Hey Sophie," Marya stated simply in greeting. She didn't want to get too engrossed in conversation just yet, but the least she could do was say hi to her friend.

by **AbsolWings** Sat Jan 19, 2013 1:06 pm

It was like she was calling him from far away, or through water or something. Manx heard a fuzzy sort of voice and blinked, running hand through his long auburn hair. Otherwise though, he gave no sign that he'd even heard the distorted sound.

Almost...got it....

Though the femenine boy seemed lax on the outside his mind was at strain on the in. A small memory...a small bit of personal substance...it danced in the corners of his head. But it felt more and more like everytime he reached out to it it slipped away.
It also felt like everytime it slipped away it slowed; like if he kept reaching out he'd catch it, eventually.

Almost.......

Just a small......

His body shuddered with concentration, eyes gazing, seemingly aimless, at the rug in front of him.

Then....Gone.

The boy let out a frustrated sigh, cupping his hands around his face and growling softly; he was quite good at growling. It made him want to laugh. Here he was, presumably in highschool, and pretty much all he knew was that he looked like a girl, was a bit of a prodige in some cirque class or other, and was a terribly good growler. What a history.
What a life.

Right now the most interesting, logical thing to happen would be for him to be raped by some horny guy. Then he'd do a back hand spring onto some tightrope and growl like a maniac.

......

It was going to drive him mad, he swore. Not to mention the whole incident recently with Alex and Marya and the soup. He felt terribly sorry, but more than anything he was confused. And as if that wasn't enough he was starting to feel like he was constantly in a dream. Each step seemed oddly light; not the agile light though- more like a....dreamy, confusing, dizzy light. Like everything was lacking the substance it should have.

Everything.

He felt paper thin.

“Get ready, we’re goin’ over to Alex’s.”

Chase's voice finally made its way to him. Manx pushed himself off of the couch and looked at her, smiling wanly. She'd been so nice to him, taking him into her home and all. That was really nice of her.
There was some substance there, at least. Some substance in time and events, because time and events didn't have much substance in the first place.

"I guess I'm ready".

He blinked vacantly, speaking honestly if a bit out-in-space like.

"Thanks for everything, by the way."

He took a few steps towards the door, coming to stand beside her, and laughed nervously.

"You'll prolly have the house to yourself again soon. I'm pretty sure Alex wants to throw me through a wall".

by **CodastertheDisaster** Thu Jan 31, 2013 11:51 pm

Alex's sensitive ears picked up the sounds of both girls approaching the door, allowing a few seconds to pass before letting both of his friends enter. He still wanted to appear normal to Sophie.

The boy had noticed in the past week that his reaction time was getting better as well, which resulted in many angry voices accusing Alex for cheating in video games. He hadn't noticed much else, though he could feel himself changing. He felt bolder, more self-reliant. Though he'd also developed at tendency to cook more than he could eat...
He'd try and keep the facade up for a little longer, at least. Maybe today would be the day they all found out...

"Hey," he greeted them simply, flashing a slight smile at them both. "Chase and Manx haven't arrived yet. Make yourselves at home," he said.

He stood there for a few seconds, his ears picking up the sound of people once more. Alex waited impatiently, the seconds seeming to drag out to minutes, before opening the door as Chase and Manx made their way down the street. A few more seconds passed before the duo entered. Alex smiled at them as well, though his expression seemed to harden, and his genial smile turned almost sinister when he looked at Manx. His expression easily spelled out, 'fuck up and you're dead'.

The boy strode to the center of the room, so everyone could see him. "Alright, friends," he called out. "Today, we're going back. I wanted to wait longer, but I feel like I absolutely have to go. If there's anything you want to get beforehand, let me know." Alex looked at each of his allies in turn, a slight smirk on his face, his eyes shining confidently. His hair was swept away from his face for once, his eyes more easily visible, an almost feral undertone to them, and he'd shed his hoodie, the sleeves of his green shirt rolled up to his elbows. His body seemed leaner, wilder...

"Otherwise, I think we'll head out in...eh, thirty minutes? Yeah, thirty minutes. That sounds good to me." He grinned at his friends, taking a step back and waiting for someone to step forward and say something.

by **Shadoe Mayari** Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:44 pm

“Alex’s not really the type of guy to hold a grudge,” Chase said, sighing. “I guess that we’re all just a little freaked out over what happened.”

When they got to Alex’s house, Chase grinned happily at the boy, trying to ignore the hardened expression he gave to Manx. But, when she noticed Sophie, she became sour in an instant. Why that spoiled little bitch was here, she had no idea. She leaned on the arm of the couch when Alex stood up to talk.

“I have a pistol in the glove compartment of my truck. It’s my uncle’s.” She felt the need to assert that it wasn’t her gun; after all, who in the right mind would trust her with one? Then again, it was in her truck, so… “I can go get it real quick.”

by **Masquerade** Wed Mar 06, 2013 10:22 pm

So this was it. The return to the lake was inevitable, but Marya had to admit that she wasn't expecting it so soon. Alex himself seemed so different as she stood there listening to him discuss rather plainly the plan. It seemed like a simple matter to him, and maybe it should have been that simple for the rest of them. They were given thirty minutes to prepare themselves, but Marya knew she'd need no such preparation. Her mind was ready, and so were her fists. Chase spoke of pistols and the like. It reminded her that she and Alex were different from the rest of them. It sent a shudder up and down her spine, and when Alex was done, she approached him, a firm look on her face.

"You seem kind of...off, Alex. Are you all right?" Marya said, a concerned look replacing the sternness that had situated itself on her visage prior. It was good that he was so confident, but he seemed so aloof about it. This was a serious matter and his nonchalance was unsettling. In the depths of her mind, she figured he might be trying to suppress such thoughts--thoughts about how everyone's life was at risk. There was no doubt Alex was the leader of their little group, and thus he held a lot more responsibility than she gave him credit for. Regardless, she wanted to hear it from his mouth; she wouldn't let herself rationalize what he may or may not be thinking.

Not this time.

by **AbsolWings** Wed Mar 06, 2013 10:45 pm

Manx gave Alex's sinister glare a shy smile, his lips turned up into his cheeks just slightly, lashes low over his eyes. The expression made him seem smaller than he already was, and was perhaps an odd thing to reply to an evil stare with, but then again, he most certainly was not normal. The other boy's short, cocky speech went quickly. Manx paid it little attention, seeming lost in his own little world, staying to himself, though noticeably close to Chase.

So.
The Lake.
They were going back. Soon. Thirty Minutes.

The boy shuffled his feet and put a hand around his neck, massaging the member roughly before letting go. Again, an odd tic. He couldn't help it. There was something he'd left behind at the lake, he felt, and it was grinding his anxiety.

Manx brushed his long auburn hair out of his face, put his hands behind his back, listened to nobody, watched everybody, and seemingly stood ready to leave at the drop of a dime. Normally he'd be a bit more social, but Alex....

....scared him, to be honest....

His eyes drifted to the hole in the wall where the soup bowl had made impact.

by **CodastertheDisaster** Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:30 pm

Alex stared at Chase for a few seconds, his expression blank. "A pistol..." he mused. "You might as well. But be careful with it. It's dark and pretty tight down there, you won't want to mistake anything..." He nodded at her, then glanced to Manx, staring at him with a neutral disposition. "No need to be so nervous. I'm not going to hurt you," he said monotonously.

His attention was directed to Marya. "Feeling alright...? Yeah, I feel fine," he replied, his tone of voice and softened expression reminiscent of the old Alex. He reached out, setting his hand on Marya's back, gently patting her. "Why do you ask?" he inquired.

His eyes scanned the room, stopping on Sophie, who'd yet to have anything say. "What about you, Sophie? Do you have any concerns?" his previous disposition evaporated, revealing his more feral side. His fang-like teeth were bared in a wild grin.

by **Masquerade** Sat Mar 09, 2013 6:34 pm

Marya sighed a bit in relief. There was no doubt her friend had changed since the encounter. And she really couldn't say she had been untouched by that time seemingly so long ago, granted she was far from normal in the first place. "Wanted to make sure you were at a hundred percent for this, but clearly you have things under control," she replied, trying her best to seem nonchalant, giving him a bit of a smirk, her hands on her hips. She allowed her eyes to roam about the room, settling on the awkward Manx and the silent Sophie. It was clear they were still the people they were before. Just teenagers in high school living their mundane lives. But Marya had a feeling that their perceptions were going to be twisted and dragged through the mud. With this trip to the lake, what would they be forced to encounter? This is going to be a nightmare. I feel bad for them. I got used to nightmares through psychosis, but...this is real life. Certainly no hellish dream... Marya thought soberly, keeping her expression outwardly light, despite the dimming of the radiance often found in her eyes.

The only thing that gave her hope was that she had made it through, so surely her friends were as well. She knew Alex would be damned if anyone tried to hurt them, and Marya would take up arms as well to protect the others. This can't have a truly happy ending. A saddening thought, but Marya wasn't about to boundlessly leap into an optimistic guise when her outlook couldn't be any further from it. She would do what she could and wait. The future was uncertain. It always was, and now that things were getting rather strange, it certainly wasn't going to change. And it probably never would.

by **Rose Hathaway** Fri Mar 22, 2013 6:17 pm

Sophie had remained silent as she entered the house, and Alex gave his big announcement that he wanted to go back. With a frown, she gazed at her feet. "I need to go home and change shoes. I am not making the mistake I made last time we went there." she told him, referencing her heels. Gucci, pink with black polka dots and a little black bow. It added some color to her white dress.

Another realization hit her. She was wearing a white dress. And they were practically hiking. "I should probably change clothes too. Dammit, Alex, you should have warned me ahead of time. I would have fucking worn a different outfit." she snapped. The dress was new. She had been excited to wear it. "Also, I have dinner with my father at 8. First time in months. I'd rather not miss it. No funky blackouts. No dying. Got it?" she added. Sophie did not sound amused.

by **CodastertheDisaster** Fri Mar 29, 2013 1:44 am

Sophie's comment darkened Alex's expression. "Of course, princess," he replied, in a sweet, yet venomous tone, completely unlike what the old Alex would have sad. He ran his tongue over his fanglike teeth, taking a step towards Sophie, glaring down at her. "It isn't exactly my fault you decide to wear dresses and heels all the time. Maybe you could dress, oh, I don't know, more sensibly, like everyone else here," he added.

He chuckled. "But it's okay. Nobody's gonna die, nor do I intend on blacking out again. But if you want to leave by eight, you're going to have to hurry your ass up and go change. Not saying we'll be there all day, but just in case, it'd be nice to get an early start." Alex folded his arms across his chest, waiting for somebody else to act. Sophie was most likely going to give the boy an earful later, but at this point, he didn't really care. Nor was he worried about it in the slightest. It's not like the girl would actually do anything.

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