Stepping into the Light (Closed)

[Zander Shale]

        A clear sunny day, just like any other, greeted the courtyard of the school today. Flowers were blooming rather well into a cascade of rainbow, the scent drifting to and fro. Bird flew about, taking small baths in the fountain. All of this lent itself to the picture of a peaceful day.

        Amongst the bushes, a lone mouse skittered about, darting to every hidden spot amongst the plants. It eventually makes its way to the side of a singular figure sitting at one of the benches. It rummages through his long, red duster until it pops out from the sleeve of its right arm and curls into the palm of the man's hand. As his hand curls up, it seems as if the mouse would be smothered, but when the hand opens again, no trace of the mouse can be seen.

        This was a typical deal with Zander... he had fun playing with his shades as they blinked into and out of existence. They weren't real... simply illusions given some form. However, it was nice to be able to view things from the perspective of both small and large. He decided he that he would acquaint himself with the grounds overall, and his shades did so much faster than he could. Plus, he could relax in the warmth of the sun and take in the sight of the courtyard.

        Not a lot of people around... Still, it's nice in here. Zander stretched out on the bench, taking a moment from exploring with his shades to really relax. After all, it's best to enjoy life as much as possible. Besides, if somebody wanted him that badly, they'd ask him something. I mean, it's not like anyone's gonna sit over me and stare until I open my eyes... That'd just be weird.

[Mia Howitzer]

It was a nice, quiet, peaceful day. And she hated it. The birds were singing, the school was unusually quiet, having a lazy air to the whole campus, and a gentle breeze flitted across the island. It was all in all serene, and she should have been enjoying it. But she wasn't. She liked lay days just as much as the next person but today she was hyper -well, more so than usual- and so that made the whole thing utterly, mind numbingly, boring. She trained in the morning, went for a quick dip in the ocean after that, then considered watching a movie or two but she couldn't make herself sit still enough to last through the whole ninety minutes.

She had long changed out of her uniform, now in her customary outfit of shorts and a tank top. She didn't hate skirts with the passion of a thousand burning suns as she did when she was little, but she didn't love them either, usually making the school day even more torture than it already was to her. She actually had to pay attention, ugh. She was really starting to regret making that whole "be a good student" decision she had made when she first came to Ashford. Her? A good student? 'Twas nearly blasphemy.

Mia had caved to her boredom after the movie idea flat lined, grabbing a football from underneath her bed and going outside, intending to work on her aim. It wasn't too hot so she didn't need the shade of the forest and besides, the thing couldn't go that far with all the trees in the way so she stayed in the courtyard.

Right now said football was sailing through the air in a perfect, spiraling arc....heading straight for the blond on the bench.

[Zander Shale]

*THWACK!!!* "OWwwww! What the..." Zander called out in a loud, rough voice. This peaceful nap he was having was so rudely interrupted when something crashed into his head. He glanced around a bit until he noticed the football bouncing off a few feet away. When looking around to see where it came from, he spotted... somebody. I mean... she's the only one around, but why in the world would she throw a football at me... I mean, a FOOTBALL.

Zander took a few moments to regain balance, but as he stood up, he took time to look over the person. She was a small thing, even compared to him, but she obviously was in good condition to hit him that hard. She had short-cut brown hair, powerfully green eyes that make him hungry for lime jello, and a spunky stance as she stands there. She seems... slightly amused at hitting him directly in the head, as if she was playing some sort of target practice game. I guess she hit what she was aiming for... God, that stung.

After taking the time to gather himself, Zander calls out to the girl. "Nice shot, but could you... I dunno, not aim for my head next time?" He rubs the side of the head hit by the football as he walks over to grab said football. "Y'know, if you really wanted to introduce yourself, there was no need for rough-housing... unless you're that kind of lady?" Zander began to raise an eyebrow, but quickly began laughing at how stupid that comment was. "I'm sorry, I get carried away sometimes. I'm Zander... Here, catch" And with that, Zander threw the football back at the girl. He was no pro footballer, but this wasn't the first time he'd tossed a pigskin around.

[Mia Howitzer]

Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh... It was hard not to though, the look on his face alone! Safe to say, she failed miserably at that don't laugh thing. "Aww, where would the fun in that be?" Honestly, he didn't seem to get the concept of humor. Well, prankster humor. Mean humor? Either way. It was hilarious when you hit someone in the head with  football; it was like a law of the universe somewhere. Seriously. Look it up, I'm pretty sure it's on page 202.

....Did he really just say that? Seriously? At least he realizes how stupid that sounded....She thought when he started laughing at his own corniness. There was no need for rough-housing... unless you're that kind of lady? Who said stuff like that? Well him apparently. Thiiiiis is gonna be interesting. She really shouldn't be complaining. She had an outlet for her boredom now in the form of the blonde newbie. She hadn't seen him around before and that equaled a new student in her mind.

"Nice to meet ya. Name's Mia." She caught the football easily, pleased he wasn't a complete failure at it. Sure the throw was a bit wobbly but it made it over to her just fine. "How new are ya?" Who knows, if he was new enough and she was feeling particularly hospitable she could show him around. At least show him the best spots for hiding from Prefects, how to avoid their patrol routes and so on. Oh, wait. That idea wasn't going to work. She just spotted his Prefect badge shining on his uniform. Well know I'm doubly glad I him the moron. She didn't like Prefects in general, more so because she was a member of the Battle Front; in fact there was only one Prefect she liked so far and that was just because the chick was more  the sarcastic, snarky type. And because she didn't exactly seem to want to be a Prefect in the first place.

[Zander Shale]

So, the shot was more for fun.... Way to go Zander, you sure know how to attract the interesting ones. He admitted: bonking someone on the head was usually funny... it just wasn't as fun for the guy getting hit... he wasn't gonna hold anything against her, though, especially if that meant starting a fight... it was the middle of the day: he'd get overheated, and really didn't feel like overexerting himself unless the effort was worth the excitement.

Mia, huh? Short and powerful.... must be a theme with her. He takes a moment to remember her name... something told him he was gonna see a lot of her in the future. That's when she asks about how new he was to the place. "Oh, pretty new... only got here about a week and a half ago... though, with all the paperwork that needed to be filed, I haven't had a chance to do much of anything here." This was so very true: Getting signed up with the Prefects wasn't all it was cracked up to be... and, apparently, he had to speak to one of the head members about some.... orientation or... observation? Yeah... that's gonna be a lot of fun...

Zander takes a moment to straighten his duster, letting the sun shine off the buttons, then takes a moment to prop himself against a wall, arms crossed. "So, I hear things can get pretty... interesting around here. Is it just troublemakers, or... does this place actually have something to do in between the dull moments?" He wasn't trying anything with her, yet, but it'd be better if he could at least get on friendly terms with somebody here... he had a while to be here, and didn't want his stay here to be boring.

[Deleted]

It'd not been long since his internment, or start of school, whatever one would want to call it, either way, he seemed to gradually get used to this place, though a handful of days off the boat and for the first few days keeping to himself. Perhaps it was a bit much to avoid people like he had the plague, yet at times, he seemed to hit it off with a couple of individuals. No matter the cause, he was out and about right now, his bare feet padding across the ground as he moved into the next area, trailing odd tracks and dirtying the hem of his black jeans. His tattered jacket drifting almost in the breeze as he smiled to himself, though pausing as he heard a discussion nearby.

Pulling on his white shirt, he held his hand against his chest and looked around the corner to the courtyard, spotting two people with his crystalline eyes, biting his lower lip lightly as he watched them. His hair shifting in the air and making him look almost picturesque compared to his surroundings. Trying to keep his breathing calm, he blinked and watched the two, wondering if it was at all possible to get past the both of them without drawing attention to himself. Taking a quiet breath, he gathered up what courage he had and began walking, turning the corner into full view of the two. If they looked at him, he'd pause instinctively and tremble, otherwise, he would take steady steps to the other side, his toes clutching the path softly.

[Mia Howitzer]

"Oh then you're reeeally fresh meat." She said simply, trying not to let it show that she felt bad for him. Poor thing didn't seem like the type to roll with the punches well...literally. To her he didn't seem like much of a fighter yet but who knew? He could surprise her and turn out o become the next Jet Li or something. Only time will tell with this one. She at least hoped he'd learn to defend himself sometime soon. He was gonna need it.

"You have noooo idea, blondie." She chuckled. Interesting wasn't the word for it. Chaotic? Yes. Stressful? Oh yeah. Fun? Eeeh, sometimes. It could be, so there was something. Not often, but still. "As for things to do you can swim, explore the forest a bit...you pretty much have to make your own fun here." For her it tended to be pretty easy since she normally dealt in pranks and playing jokes on people. Blondie on the other hand...he didn't look like that was his cup of tea so naturally he'd have to work harder.

A bit of movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned her head to see what it was. It turned out to be nothing overly exciting. Just another student, this one a pretty boy, and more fresh meat. What is it with all the new kids today? Sheesh. He looked kind of timid so she didn't bother calling out to him. If he came over, great. If Zander said something to him, alright. She could be nice, believe it or not.

[Zander Shale]

        Fresh meat, eh? That takes me back... Zander mused to himself over her choice of words. He figured she was probably a bit of a tomboy or prankster. Either that, or she had a very grim outlook for people here, but that was probably not the case. Glancing over very carefully, he did notice the outline of another figure entering the courtyard. The approaching figure was rather thin, but still much taller than Zander. Still, the boy was obviously trying not to garner attention at the moment, so he obviously didn't need him.

        Mia's next words gave him a depressing feeling he hid within. From the sound of it, there really was nothing to do normally here, which meant Zander was gonna be left to fend for himself. Hmmm... Or will I? She seems like the fun-seeking type. I haven't had the chance to do much myself since getting here, so I could use a change of pace. Besides, as long as no one gets hurt, a little fun isn't going to be a big deal. He figured he'd play along with the idea and called out to her. "Well, then, what's a guy to do around here? You can't possibly tell me you have nothing to do but bother a new kid? He smirked at her "Tell you what: What do you say we go find something to do? Everyone needs some fun now and then. And, just between us..." He grinned to her as he pulled his badge off his duster and tucked it into a pants pocket. "It'll be our secret, ok?"