Winding Down (Open)

[Isolde Nemes]

The day was coming to a close, most people likely already in their dorms, winding down or already asleep. It was school rules, after all. A curfew. Something Isolde was not a stranger of. But she had a bit more freedom at the moment, and right now, she was using that freedom in the gym. She couldn't read, there wasn't any work to be done tonight, and her mind was racing.

"She's a threat to the project."

Those words echoed through her mind until she threw a punch into the heavy-bag she set up, the sound of leather being punched echoing through the area. She then threw another, following a set rhythm.

"There's nothing else like her. She can't be discarded."

Her punches picked up in strength, moving the bag slightly more than usual. Her breathing intensified as well, signaling how much power she was throwing around.

"She led an entire rebellion within the base!"

Clenching her teeth, her punches picked up speed, the bag almost being thrown around in front of her, the chain vibrating violently.

"She's not just gifted, she's a mutant!"
"That freak is beyond our control!"
"You should have gotten one of the others!"
"ISSY!"

Issy screamed suddenly, throwing one huge punch into the bag, the force tearing off the chains and ripping open the bag to let out all of its sand and scatter on the floor. Teeth still clenched, her breath forced its way out of her teeth as she tried to calm herself. This was why she was here, and she actually expected something like this to happen.

Good thing she got spares. There was a line of six of them, knowing she wasn't entirely sure just what he extent was when it came to her strength. Obviously she was stronger than her body really let on, able to grab one of the punching bags and set it on the hook above as she stepped on a stool, as if it weighed nothing more than a grocery bag holding a few boxes of cereal.

Once done, she pushed the stool aside, though she didn't start her routine right away. She just took a moment, holding the bag in her hands and trying to calm down, eventually resting her head on the equipment and letting out a misted sigh, coating a small area of the bag in frost like one would fog up glass during a cold winter day with a simple breath.

[Julian Mercer]

can be king kong

be students, be teachers
be politicians, be preachers
be believers, be leaders,
be astronauts, be champions
be truth seekers.

Curfew? Well, he was new enough to claim he didn't know better... right?

Even if he didn't, Julian couldn't sleep. He couldn't bring himself to stay in his dorm, just staring at the wall. So he'd slipped out, creeping through the hallways, his hair still damp from his shower. If his hair hadn't been wet, he might have snuck outside, but it was, so, Julian wandered the school like a maze.

And then, he heard it.

It was a jingling, first, like a chain being pulled taut, then slackening. Then again. And again. And again. Julian followed the sound as the time between hits seemed to get shorter. It wasn't that he was moving fast, so, maybe he was imagining it.

Imagined or not, he kept moving toward it. And then, the scream. Jude froze, his eyes widening. Was it too late to retreat? Footsteps emerged into the hall he was in- battle front, or prefects, meeting in the night time hours...

"Hey, kid, what are you-" Jude took the coward's way out. He ran. He ran toward the gym, bursting into the room and closing the door behind him.

That's when he saw Isolde, as he leaned back against the door, catching his breath.

"Ohhhh." Jude exhaled.

"Good...evening." Jude forced a smile, as if he had every right to be there, in the gymnasium with her.

NOTES | Hey! It's Jude <3

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[Isolde Nemes]

She could have sworn she heard a voice beyond the doors... It was a slight moment of hesitation she had, but Issy just shook her head real quick and stepped back from the bag, about ready to throw a punch before she then heard the doors open behind her. She froze... not literally, but she was in mid-action when she turned around, seeing the new guy close the door behind him like he was trying to keep himself from getting caught.

If that was the case, it wasn't exactly a good thing that he ran into the same room as her. Wasn't it about time for all the other students to be in their dorms, reading or just going to bed? The night guards were likely already out by now, not to mention the Prefects taking the night shift this time. Out of all she could remember, Isolde didn't recall a guy with purple hair like him in the ranks.

"Evening is right..." Hold on, she didn't have her badge on her. Actually, the only things she had on at the moment was her cropped sports top and sport shorts... In fact, one would even say she was showing off a little more than she likely should. However, she did have a perfectly good reason for it.

Isolde let herself relax. No need to go into force at the moment. The guy looked too awkward at the moment to just come lunging at her anyway. Instead, she just turned her entire body toward him, arms crossed and face semi-serious. "What made you come in acting like a convict on the run?"

It was the best analogy she had at the moment. His face was putting up a front, but his slow words and previous actions said otherwise.

[Julian Mercer]

can be king kong

be students, be teachers
be politicians, be preachers
be believers, be leaders,
be astronauts, be champions
be truth seekers.

Truth be told, once Jude had shut the door behind himself, it wouldn't have mattered if she had a badge or not. Jude couldn't really turn around and go the way he came, and there wasn't an easy way past her- it wasn't like she hadn't noticed him.

So, Jude was stuck. His only option now was to make the best of the situation, and hope she could be recruited into his mischeif, or at the very least, find him amusing or harmless.

"Just a little spooked." Jude replied, his tone still breathless, but lacking any semblance of worry in spite of his words. "You don't think the place is haunted, do you?" Jude pushed himself away from the door, moving toward her. Rather than stopping in front of her, he moved closer to the punching bag, his hand lazily drawing across the material as his eyes focused on the now solitary bag.

"You're pretty strong- I heard the sound echoing down the halls." Jude stated. "Why are you practicing so late? Can't sleep?"

NOTES | n/a

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