Meet The Characters.

[Deleted]

One often has to wonder about the theory about multiple universes, not just the relative concept of it, but if there were actually universes where supernatural powers were actually viable. Such a degree of warped physics was often something that seemed to make no sense, but yet, could it be possible. As a writer of sorts, and a scientist of sorts as well, it was often a question that lead to fanatical thoughts, and endless daydreaming about the possibilities. Of course, unanswerable questions were all well and good, so long as they didn't actively impact one's daily life. This though, this entire situation, was defiantly impacting my daily life.

Now what situation would that be? It was a rather puzzling one to be certain, something along the lines of what would probably happen with a few pints of vodka in one's digestive system, almost impossible to explain, and better off forgotten. Still, it probably was something I should be focusing on a bit more, so I opened my eyes and pushed past the dizziness, to view a tiled floor. There was the gentle hum of some machine in the background as well, along with what looked to be some gothic girly boots, although catching sight of that, I couldn't help but grin a little bit. Boots like that brought back good memories, and I decided to get a look of the girl who would wear such things.

As my eye caught sight of the body, taking note that just before the boots cut off, the legs were covered by a plaid skirt, I couldn't help but smirk, the girl obviously had a wonderful figure. She was surprisingly a femme fatale, having a wonderful athletic figure, without ridiculous melons attached to her chest. Unsurprisingly, she had a light tan, and gave off a mischievous grin as she looked down upon me. The golden sun-kissed hair was hanging down, pushed back into a pony tail, though one strand had escaped the pony tail and was caressing the side of her face. Despite all this though, I couldn't help but notice the narrowed eyes, and a bit of a peeved expression, as if I was under blame for something. The anger or dissatisfaction she felt with me though was hardly apparent in her voice as she spoke, a melodic alto, "Ahahaha, we finally got one. I knew we were doing it right, Lilith! I'll go take him to Boss-man!"

Of course this caused me to frown, and also realize my current situation of sitting on the floor of some unfamiliar place. I am not the type to be lead around without reason though, and so rose to my full height, towering over the little girl before me. Beauty was a distraction, but one I was apt at ignoring in favor of knowledge, and I really needed a better grasp of this situation. "Now listen here, I am not going to be meeting your boss, until you tell me what's going on, and why I've arrived at these facilities."

Unsurprisingly, that was hardly a deterrent to the girl, and her arm snaked out quick as a viper and grabbed onto my wrist, applying a force that was very uncommon from one of her stature, and I found myself being forcibly pulled along, no matter how much I resisted, and it caused a bit of shock to be in such a situation. I wasn't easily moved without my choice, but this girl was pulling me along as if I was nothing more than an unruly child, talking all the while. "It's simple, we had this one guy telling up about these people who effected our lives so heavily, and Boss-man wasn't fond of being controlled, so he wanted to meet you, and the others to persuade against further interference, but really, if you want, I wouldn't mind getting into more fun situations. Oh, I'm Chris by the way."

As she was speaking, I was quickly let into a room with quite a few seats and one young man striding to the doorway as we entered. I couldn't help but get the feeling of authority from this man. Unlike the girl pulling me along, he exuded a sense of command about himself that I was unlikely to ever see again in another person. He had sharp thin features, and unkempt black hair that was a bit curled along the edges as his eyes narrowed at the sight of it. His complexion was rather pale in comparison to current company, but it seemed to match the gaunt figure.

"Be Quiet."

Those two words, stated in a soft tenor, seemed to have such a profound impact on the atmosphere of the room, what before was a stifling environment seemed down right oppressing after he spoke, but apparently it was only a feeling I was getting. Taking a quick glance at the girl who had buttoned up like a clam at his utterance, not even seeming slightly annoyed at getting cut off. It was surprising to see such a reaction from a girl, but the devotion to this young man was quite obvious on the girl's face, and I couldn't help but be slightly creeped out. There didn't seem to be a lick of sanity in the few moments that that expression lasted, until she simply grinned wider and skipped back into the room I had come from.

I turned back to the other, unsure of what to say at this moment, as I took a closer look at the guy again. He was wearing a dress shirt, and slacks, and obviously was a bit athletic as well, having a wiry body that went rather well with his entire demeanor though, almost akin to a panther. "And your name would be?" I asked, almost but not quite, calling him boss. Disrespect probably wouldn't go over too well, and this situation was uncomfortable enough without causing added stress and tension in this room.

The alchemist gave off a faint smirk, walking in a circle around me, making me distinctly uncomfortable at the obvious analysis of my person. "I am Seth Lorenz Rosa, a person apparently quite deeply underneath your control. Sickening really, you don't seem powerful at all."

[Deleted]

I don't get stressed very easily. My default mode is "happy." Occasionally, I'm ecstatic, and on a bad day, I'm content. My roommates, however, are quite the opposite. As hilarious as it is to see the three of us reacting to the same situation, their reactions always ranging between 8 and 10 on a drama scale while mine tend to sit at a calm 2, watching them can occasionally be disconcerting.

"IT'S. SO. DIFFICULT. AAAARRRGGHGHGGHGH."

Was she foaming at the mouth? Is that what I'm supposed to be doing? Am I doing college wrong? Hmmmm...

I stared at Janet with tired eyes as I forced a mellow smile.

"Chin up, dear," I offered unhelpfully, my eye fixed on the periodic table in front of me as I bit my pencil, contemplating my favorite element. Carbon the slut was always a fun one, but who could resist the non-conformist Argon? The dilemma plagued my mind and suddenly I felt something unfamiliar: stress. I glanced at my blue digital clock. Four in the morning? I'd been studying Chemistry much longer than I thought. Groaning, I rubbed my temples. I needed a break.

I glanced down at the state of my attire: ducky sweats and a Spill Canvas band-tee. Not exactly club wear, but I wasn't planning on flirting with anyone, so it would do. I pulled the pencil out of my hair, allowing the tight bun to drop into a comfortable disarray of long black locks.

"Janet, Arvely, dears, I'm going to B-Cafe. I'll be back within the hour." The melodramatic cuties made a show out of bidding me goodbye. I played along, laughed, opened the door of our dorm room, shut it behind me, and dragged myself down two flights of stairs.

What I saw when I exited the stairwell, however, was definitely not the first floor of Rieber Hall. I turned around to see if I'd exited through the right door, but there was no door to be found.

"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," I whispered mildly, glancing around at my strange surroundings. I didn't recognize the tiled floor or the grey walls. This had to be a dream. Obviously, I had fallen asleep on my copy of the Periodic Table. Thinking about elements did always make me have pipe dreams.

Well, might as well explore and find out what the depths of my imagination hold this time.

"Let's see what's behind Door #1," I mused, pushing open the door.

I caught the end of what seemed to be a short speech by someone of authority. He was speaking to an audience of one, the one being a tall seated man with a head of black hair. I didn't think much of the back of his head, probably because the standing speaker was soaking up the majority of my attention. He was handsome enough and carried with him a strong aura of command that made me shudder a little and note to myself not to be sarcastic or rude in any way.

"Mr. Seth Lorenz Rosa, sir, if you wouldn't mind sparing me a moment... um, where the expletive am I?" That didn't last long.

[lil]

Dreams swirled in my mind. Dreams of the same universe I woke to greet. Dreams of Sinclair and Isabelle enjoying a quiet day with their child, to be specific. I had to laugh at the way Isabelle related so well to the child, and the way Sinclair lost his gruffness, seeming to melt into the child's willing grasp. As the dream ended, Sinclair Gabriel was there to keep watch over me with his disinterested stare. His silky black hair hung down in his unnaturally colored eyes, taking in my features as if I were something he was entirely disinterested in. He was dressed in the usual silk shirt, this one being blood red with enough buttons undone to show off the solid black tank top that clung to his chest. I recognized his angular features and the intensity in his expression, as if his emotions were simmering under the surface, just waiting for someone to light the fuse.

"Sinclair.

[/color]" Came the cheerful voice of Lilith as she sauntered into my line of sight. One of her delicate pale hands moved out to rest on Sinclair's shoulder. The other fell on my hand. I glanced down to see the warm skin against me, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that I was laying in a bed, on my back, with my hands above the covers in a prone position.

"You don't look very devilish to me,[/color]" Lilith observed, her brilliant blue eyes sparkling with warm curiosity as my gaze returned to her. She was grinning in a very soft way that suited her youthful features. Her dark hair framed her face well, leaving me more aware of her eyes than before. Her words earned a chuckle from Sinclair. It broke the tension and made him lean back in the seat he was occupying beside my bed, disrupting the scrutiny he subjected me to. With no concern for my permission, he lifted his feet onto the mattress of the bed, his Vans managing to depress the bed just so that I couldn't ignore his action.

"Lils, he wanted to see them right away... They might not be safe.[/color]" I heard the caring voice of Demi before I saw his messy silver hair or his equally enticing eyes. I could see the comb lines against the gelled silver strands, which made the fact that his hair still looked messy all the more impressive to me. He tilted his head, watching me from beside his sister. They looked almost like twins, standing at roughly the same height. It made Demi seem unfairly short. Demi hand was suddenly thrust out in offer to me. Hesitantly, I placed my hand in his, only to find Lilith's hands going to my shoulder to help me sit up. Once I was sitting, it wasn't tough to rise to a standing position. And from there each step was slow and measured so that I didn't fall, but manageable.

Whatever they'd done, I felt the effects of dizziness for the first few seconds after standing. To my surprise, Demitrius let Lilith guide me out of the room by herself. I didn't see where he went, I just knew he wasn't following. As I exited the first room and saw Anna's familiar face as she used Seth's full name, I felt a sudden sense of relief. I wasn't alone. Seth was at least somewhat familiar to me, too. Lilith was grinning at me, squeezing the hand she'd trapped in her grasp when she lead me into the room. I smiled faintly, noted the other unfamiliar male occupant with shyness, then cast my gaze to the floor. Occupying my focus was the fact that Lilith's black skater shoes were colored on with neon colored sharpies, something that didn't surprise me to see. I couldn't remember thinking of that, though.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[Deleted]

Being insulted was something I had experience with. Being insulted for no reason was also something I didn't think to question, didn't bother to ask as to the reason of the hostility. A bit of a conditioned response, some answers were better off left unknown, and thus I didn't worry too much about it. Having control over other though, was definitely something new to me, and my eyes widened in surprise, making it easier to see the light brown irises. I, of course, quickly settled my expression into a scowl, their rudeness was quickly getting intolerable, supposed reasons or not.

"Listen here." I started, only to pause, as the door opened, letting in another, and my gaze quickly switched over to the newcomer, and recognizing the distinctly asian face. I didn't want to jump to conclusions though, but I couldn't help but making some remark, sarcastic gestures helped me cope with unfamiliar situations. "I'm pretty sure I said not to mess up and summon lesser demons. Now look at what's happened."

After that I paused for a moment, remembering that the last thing I did before the distortion of arriving here was homework, and I looked down at my clothing, hoping beyond hope that I wasn't forgetting something crucial, like clothing. Thankfully, for my dignity, I was wearing a shirt and cargo pants. Unfortunately, I wasn't wearing shoes, and my feet were only covered by thick black socks. It wasn't the worse thing to be caught in, and luckily I had taken a shower earlier, so I was clean as could be.

Truly it was a thankful thing, as the door opened again, revealing two more people, both unfamiliar, although one seemed more recognizable than the other.

"Lilith! I see you've brought the last one that's had quite the impact on our years." I couldn't help but turn my attention towards Seth at those words. It wasn't what he said that caused my sudden change of focus, but how he said it. The voice was brimming with warmth, kindness bleeding through what was before one of the sternest voices I've ever heard, and although it wasn't so surprising, given the tone of his voice, the man was actually smiling at the girl.

I couldn't help it, I stepped away from the others, realizations coming into place with another confirmation to what I had previously entertained as the crazed delusional thoughts brought about by excessive lack of sleep. This was Ashford. That was Seth Rosa! That was Lilith! That's, that's impossible. I couldn't help it, this entire situation violated so many principles, so many laws and theories, ""God damn fuckin twinkies." I cursed to myself, unable to stop the explicative from leaving my lips.

Mind boggling concepts such as these weren't suppose to happen until after I had slept and ate, now I was standing here, exhausted from a long day, and hungry, while I had to deal with what were obviously super-humans from some alternate universe where my fanatical imagination had corresponded into corrupting their lives. I couldn't help but let out a tired sigh as I realized that I had almost killed off one of these people, and the one who brought me here...oh god. It made some sense, now, her ire that I had saw before.

"So, why exactly have we destroyed countless physics theories and laws to facilitate this meeting exactly?" I asked, having realized that, depending on the situation, this could definitely be my last day of existence. I wanted to grill Seth for answers on his powers though, but realized that my Seth knew naught of the actual rules that they were all confined too, nor the origin of their powers, they were a new breed, being subjugated for their powers, and I couldn't help but be annoyed by that. I wanted to know more, but it was always like that unfortunately.

[Deleted]

Before "Seth Lorenz Rosa" could answer my question, the dark-haired sitter turned his head and spoke to me. His words echoed something that a good friend had once said to me, but this couldn't be Tony. Regardless, my eyes shifted downward to address this new speaker, then widened, comically distorting their usual characteristically Asian almond shape. Dreaming about him once was stalkerish enough, but twice in one week? Maybe that special wall I had so studiously built had a few cracks after all.

"Sorry, guess I'm a bit rusty on my Satanic chants," I replied dryly, still taking in the fact that Tony was in front of me and this dream was seeming less like a dream and more like another reality. After all, I was completely lucid. Also, this situation seemed to make more sense than most of my dreams. That was saying a lot about my dreams.

Before I could have anymore exchanges with Dream(?)-Tony, three newcomers found their way into the room, causing me to turn my head. And just when I thought the situation couldn't get any weirder, the final third of the triumphant trio was present. My jaw dropped, my lips vaguely mouthing the name "Shea," but I didn't get much of a chance to strike up a conversation about Sinclair and Isabelle, nor did I have time to respond to the question that came from Tony's side of the room. The last newcomer, who seemed to be trailing behind the other pair, separate from them, stepped forward and approached me, her piercing purple eyes gazing into mine. Those eyes glowed with innocence, but it was clear that that innocence was recently tainted by heartbreak, and with that heartbreak came a faint aura of anger, mixed in with the girl's natural warmth.

Of course I recognized her. How could I not? I created her. And as I realized who she was, putting that together with the fact that Tony and Shea were present, I realized what was going on. Unfortunately, I couldn't vocalize that realization, as I was interrupted by a hard, vicious slap across the face.

"OW!" Warmth flooded to my cheek, which I rubbed with my hand.

"How dare you! How dare you put all of us through so much pain, so much suffering, all for what? Some mild entertainment? You're sick! You're demented! You killed my sister! You took away the first man I ever loved!"

"Well, Meredith, that last one wasn't exactly my decis-"

"It doesn't matter! And don't you dare even say my name." The heartbroken brunette wandered over to the row of seats and sat down, where she stared at the floor, leaving me to rub my cheek and once again scan the room. So, that was Seth. He belonged to Tony. Lilith was Shea's character. And Meredith, well, Meredith was mine.

"I can't explain the physics of it, but I'm thinking this is a revenge scheme, devised by our puppets," I answered Tony finally as I took a seat next to him, wondering where this dream was going to go next.

[lil]

Lilith being addressed caught my attention, too. I tried to resist grinning, and yet, there it was. I was grinning as Lilith gave a small wave with her free hand, her expression revealing nothing but happiness. After the small wave, her hand fell to her side against her school uniform, brushing against the familiar skirt.

"Yeah, here she is, Seth.

[/color]" Lilith agreed with Seth, glancing at me again. I felt obligated to speak then, with her staring as if expecting it. I didn't know what to say, but something would at least end the staring, if I was lucky.

"Seth,[/color]" I nodded in acknowledgement, my grin replaced with a neutral expression that I was so familiar with. I kept my gaze trained on him, trying to convince myself I was brave and this wasn't awkward. The swearing from the other male was the only reason I pulled my attention away at all. Watching him, I found myself unable to say anything in response. I wasn't sure if the swearing bothered me, or if it was only the oddness of the words he spoke.

"Hi," I began, feeling quite proud to get that much out. Few things were more stressful than having to address new people before I was ready, but there it was. Done without incident.

And then things took another surprising turn. Meridith. The one person I didn't want to face. Maybe this was a nightmare, not just a dream. Lilith seemed more composed than I would expect her to be at the appearance of the other female- she seemed hardly to notice the arrival, really. As Mer slapped my long time friend, I knew Anna didn't deserve it. Seeing the hurt in Meredith, it was hard to redirect her anger. Feeling quite cowardly, I looked back to the floor.

"Meredith, hitting her won't help.[/color]" Lilith's voice lost the happiness she usually maintained. She let go of my hand, crossing the distance to Anna and Meredith. As Meridith walked away, Lilith offered her hand to Anna, hoping to comfort her if possible.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[Deleted]

I couldn't help the slight amusement that I felt as Anna spoke. Although it was shortly followed by seeing Anna get slapped. I wasn't taking mirth in the pain she was feeling, but it was just so hilarious and I couldn't help but stage whisper to myself as a result. "Anna's Law."

Of course, I turned my eyes over to Seth again, having seen some retaliation from our slightly fictional characters, I couldn't help but wonder what atrocities I would have to face as a result of the events I placed my characters under. The duress they must have faced was, if nothing else, a large part my responsibility. Thankfully, Seth was frowning at Meredith. "While I understand your ire, Meredith, please contain yourself...and them as well."

It was easy to analyze the wording that Seth used, and knowing so much about the people in this room, I couldn't help but smirk slightly, he still believed that we had influence over this world, and was hoping to shut down whatever 'powers' we seemed to be capable of. Cautious, a respectable approach.

The third spoke as well, obviously from our dimension, and more than likely Deci in the flesh, I couldn't help but smile at the girl, as I spoke as well. "Good Day."

Of course my thoughts were short lived as the girl from before, Christopher, entered the room again. She gave me a quick glance before speaking to Seth. "It's still running, but apparently we can't get a hold of any of the others effecting our universe. They might get pulled in later though, I think."

Having said her spiel, she walked over to me, a wide Cheshire grin on her face, her hands clenching and unclenching and I couldn't help but wish at this moment that I wasn't here. Sure, my characters didn't have the best of lives, but Chris was the one most effected by the happenings, most traumatized by them, and the most unhinged. I wondered what violent atrocities she would commit to me, but I looked up to her, and forced a small smile onto my face, as I tried an approach I wouldn't bet on, but miracles do happen. "For what it's worth I'm real-gak"

I didn't get far in my apology. True, I was paying attention to the girl's arms, expecting some form of attack, but the knee strike that had slammed almost straight into my throat and so close to crushing my windpipe was quite the surprise. Luckily, I was in a chair, one not bolted to the ground, and the force cause me to fall backwards, coughing at the breath that seemed to have gotten stuck in my throat. "You! You! You're! You're!"

"Chris, Desist." Seth commanded, walked forward to lay a hand on her shoulder to restrain the girl. I was immensely grateful for that myself, uncertain what the girl would do if she couldn't find the words to express herself. A million bloody situations popped into my head, and I couldn't help but wonder what taste she would experience as she bit into my flesh.

Seth paused for a moment, looking at the three of us, as I regained back my seat, rubbing at the spot in my chest that Chris had hit. "You've mostly been brought here so we could meet our devils mostly, to try and get past the fact that every nightmare we've lived through were caused by people who thought very little of the actions they were bringing forth. Basically, we wanted to meet our tormentors, but, as you've experienced, some actions are hard to hold back."

I couldn't help it, apparently the kick, and subsequent tumble had loosed up my lips, and I spoke again. "A bit presumptuous don't you think? Holding us accountable for bringing you to existence, you owe everything to us, the good and the bad." Honestly, I was surprised at what had happened, the sudden increase in pressure around me, I recognized as an increase in the air's density, although it was never an application I had thought of, as the dense air, the extreme pressure made it impossible to exhale, I was actually suffocating. My eyes opened wide in surprise, before I closed them quickly.

Seth was holding a bottlecap in his fingers right in front of my face, and then the fabled reaction happened, a miniature explosion right against the side of my cheek as he pressed it against the skin. It felt like being punched by a freight train, and once again I was falling off my seat, landing on my hands and knees from the blow. I gritted my teeth, no longer quite appreciating this situation.

Seth's voice ringed through the room again, as he settled into a seat opposite the three of us, Meredith to his left, and an open seat to his right. "I apologize for that, but please try to remain civil. This is a trying experience for all of us, and I'd like for it to be therapeutic, rather than violent in it's conclusion."

[Deleted]

From the corner of my eye, I noticed that Meredith wasn't entirely amused by her heart-breaker giving her orders. Her eyes remained downcast, yet they softened, momentarily shifting to their previous soft brown color, revealing kind thoughts, before changing back to the neutral purple. So, she still had feelings for Rosa. I shouldn't have been surprised; after all, I was the one who chose to make unconditional love her most defining characteristic. Feeling slightly guilty, I forced myself not to look anymore at her. Whatever world this was, the universe didn't have many pure-hearted people, and I had taken part in really screwing over one of them. Whoops.

On my way to the seat beside Tony, I was a bit surprised to see Lilith holding a hand out to me, making me pause for a bit. Was she asking me to relinquish my weapons? I didn't have any, as far as I knew, but considering how strange things had gotten, I supposed it wouldn't be too absurd to find an AK-47 hiding in the pockets of my sweats. Then I realized that Lilith was literally just, offering me her hand. Not accustomed to genuine kindness, I raised an eyebrow. Then, I remembered Shea telling me something about how Lilith always needed to be "the good guy." The girl probably needed some kind of affirmation that I didn't hate her for taking Seth away from my character. Being fairly certain that I would not benefit from explaining to Lilith that I took pleasure in Meredith's pain (particularly with an angry power augmenter and a threatened density manipulator in the same room), I smiled and patted Lilith's head. It seemed a bit condescending in retrospect, but I wasn't really one for holding hands with anyone I had just met, let alone a fictional character.

After I had taken my seat next to Tony, the dramatic scene that then unfolded in front of me was one that forced my reaction to rise above the previously stated "2." Chris' punch didn't seem so bad, but as soon as Tony made the smart-ass comment to Seth, I knew that all Hell was going to break loose.

"Seth, please don't-" came out of my throat, but it was too late. Tony seemed to be suffocating, and I realized, sitting next to him, that the air around me seemed to be thickening as well, although I was sure it wasn't as bad as what Tony was enduring. When the explosion went off, my chair slid a bit to my right as I threw my arms over my eyes. While Seth spoke, I scrambled over to Tony on the floor to examine his condition. Unfortunately, being an engineering student and not a pre-med, I had no idea what I was supposed to be looking for, so instead of doing something genuinely helpful, I waved my hand back and forth in front of his eyes to test his vision.

"Are you okay? How many fingers am I holding up" I asked before adding, "What's the atomic number of Hydrogen?" I figured that Tony forgetting his chemistry would be far more indicative of massive brain damage than a little bit of blurry vision.

That was when I noticed Meredith beside us, healing any bruises and minor injuries that Tony had incurred. She seemed vaguely annoyed at Seth for warning her and Chris to stand down and then nearly blowing one of us to smithereens himself.

"Try to follow your own commands, Seth," she whispered quietly behind her teeth, knowing she wasn't in a position to say or do anymore.

[lil]

Lilith stared at Anna for several moments before she finally blinked, Her expression seemed mystified though she said nothing, merely watching Anna sit down.

With the greeting out of the way, I resorted to simply smiling in return. Any chance there would have been for me to have the courage to continue the conversation was cut just as short as Chris developed her voice. New as she was to me, I couldn't seem to forget the scenes that played out in my mind concerning Lilith and Chris' more intimate encounters. Her explanation to Seth didn't concern me so I tried not to focus too hard on putting things together in my mind. To my dismay, Chris took this opportunity to cause harm. It was easier to identify the stranger as Tony with the way Chris had so much anger toward him.

Lilith's eyes widened almost comically in surprise at Chris' actions. After Meredith's display, Chris' seemed far more brutal to me. Seth beat Lilith to the cautioning, though, which made Lilith exhale. She smiled, too, though tension settled in her shoulders. She stayed where she was, looking so composed and observant.

Feeling slightly out of place, I couldn't pull off the same confident stance Lilith was using. I quietly shuffled to the remaining spot near Tony and Anna. My hands went against my jeans, my gaze again settling on Seth as I sat quietly. My attention wandered away each time someone spoke, namely when process-of-elimination Tony voiced his opposition. It didn't surprise me to hear such a logical assessment. It also didn't surprise me that the statement didn't go over well. Seth's retaliation left me speechless.

Dropping down to the floor myself, partially for my own safety against any future attack, and primarily to help if needed, I stared just as uncertainly at the wound. I figuring Anna had a better idea than I did. Mer's help was a genuine relief to me, and seemingly, to Lilith who's own relaxation visibly took away the look of tension the events had brought to her body. It did occur to me that this was Tony's idea to give Seth such a cruel power in the first place. While it made a great addition to getting caught near the lake, I couldn't believe what the explosion was like in person.

There was a moment I caught where Lilith looked to the group of us. She looked so uncertain for that brief moment before she sat beside Seth. She reached out, attempting to place her hand over his to reassure him now so he didn't feel quite so alone, sitting in the chair as the others fretted over the damage he caused.

[Deleted]

Pain, oh my god damn fucking twinkies, this pain was something quite new to me. Sure, being punched in the face wasn't new, nor were kicks or other things. This though, the pure kinetic energy would have been more than enough to tear a hole right through my cheek if it wasn't for the increased density in the air creating more of a shockwave, spreading out the force, rather than having it all concentrated on a single point. I understood this, and I had a feeling that Seth did as well. He was brutal, but not murderous. He was trying to take control of the situation. It was a funny thought, seeing the manipulation that others were performing, and understanding the actions perfectly for what they were. Intimidation, he wanted fear from us, or at least me.

I heard another voice near me, asking how many fingers she was holding up, and as I opened my eyes I saw way more than any human could possible have. Closing them again, I focused on my breathing before smirking slightly at the next question. Chemistry, something easy to comprehend, rather than visual aids. "One point oh oh seven nine, Anna. Would you like to hear the next hundred as well?"

Sure I was being a bit of a smart ass, but rambling on like that gave me enough time to get a grip with the world, and focus on something other than the searing pain that was my jaw. Of course, Meredith had to come along and heal the damage that Seth had caused, and I couldn't help but wonder if she blamed me for his change of heart, if she felt I was just as responsible for the tragedy that she had suffered as well.

It didn't matter though, becoming more aware of the situation, I realized that both Anna and Shea were probably not the type to shrug off such wonton violence, and letting out a soft sigh, I placed a hand on Shea's shoulder, smiling down at the girl, before rising to my full height in the room. I hadn't thought about it before, but all these people were quite a bit small than I, something good about a six foot plus height, I guess. "Right, right, therapeutic. So, how exactly do we accomplish that? Do you want us to tell of our sufferings? Or to fix yours? Seth, you seem to be doing quite fine, embracing your inner strengths as it were. Why do you need to talk to me about it?"

I couldn't help the smirk that crossed my face as I saw Rosa's face darken at the hint. It was a rather blatant smack to his face if nothing else, mentioning the corruption that had been brought to his being by my choice, my desires, and he seemed to be settling into it quite nicely. Although, the comfort Lilith's touch provided was enough to prevent any retaliation. I did see him take the girl's hand into his own though, his thumb rubbing along her knuckles.

"Nothing so dramatic really, I just wanted us to talk, to get to know those who ruled our lives. I never realized that it'd be so trying to invoke a civil conversation though, but with what actions you forced us to live through, I can't say I'm entirely surprised."

Ha, it was like playing tennis, the ball kept on bouncing back between Seth and I, each delivering thinly veiled insults, followed by backhanded strokes, and an overt powerful swing here and there. It was almost something I took relish in, except for the fact that others were present, and I couldn't help but frown as I notice Chris standing just behind Seth and Lilith, that Cheshire grin still in place, that mad gleam in her eye focused entirely on me. It was creepy in a way that seemed entirely intentional, but I didn't want to step over the line to find out what it entailed.

So, straightening my chair again, I took a seat, my hand rubbing my jaw again, and offered a small smile to Meredith, and a muttered thanks as well. There was no true pain, just phantom sensations plaguing the recently abused flesh now. "What did you want to know then? There's very little point in us asking questions of you."

[Deleted]

Apparently, Tony's hearing was a bit off, since he gave me Hydrogen's atomic mass instead of its number of protons, but clearly his memory was still in tact, so I wasn't too alarmed. I smirked; of course he felt the need to answer to answer my question with five significant figures. I wouldn't expect any less from Tony.

"I'll let you know if my professor announces a massive atomic mass quiz, Tony," I replied as Meredith healed Seth's damage, allowing Tony to lay a comforting hand on Shea and get back on his feet. I looked over at my blonde friend, who had been rather quiet through this ordeal, and gave her my best reassuring smile, though the smile still managed to be a strained and uncertain one.

"Hey, maybe if we make it out of here alive, we can go tape off the cliffs for Sinclair. Or ask him and Isabelle how they'd feel about parenthood," I offered, hoping that the suggestion of interacting with our more eccentric (and less deadly) characters would brighten the situation.

It didn't seem to help much, as Tony and Seth began their conversation, which, from the very beginning, seemed to be brimming with subliminal messages. Since our captors had been kind enough to arrange chairs for us, I figured we may as well take advantage of them rather than kneeling on the tile floor. I stood up and offered Shea a hand to stand up before proceeding back to the neat row of seats to listen to our characters' demands.

As Tony interacted with his masterpiece, my eyes were drawn over to my own creation, the girl whose kindness knew no bounds until someone hurt somebody she loved. The realistic rendition of her animanga representation was exquisite and quite beautiful: pale skin, soft brown hair, and glistening purple eyes that were windows to her natural innocence and love. Those eyes, no longer downcast, were subtly fixed on the locked hands of Seth and Lilith. I could almost hear her thoughts in my head. Her first thought would be one of hurt, wondering how Seth's mind had changed so quickly, how he was so suddenly willing to hold another girl's hand in front of her when, not so long ago, the healer's well-being seemed to be the only thing on his mind. Then, she would tell herself that it wasn't Seth's fault that he had confused feelings of indebtedness with love. Lilith was his true love, and Lilith was amazing, and Meredith should be happy that they were happy, and everything would be okay, and then she would force herself not to think of it anymore. Right on cue, Meredith's eyes trailed away from the couple's joined hands.

"You don't have to be ashamed of anger if it's valid," I told her, managing to get the tidbit in underneath the conversation between Tony and Seth, catching Meredith's attention. She acknowledged me for a moment and seemed to take in the sight of her maker, examining me curiously, until Tony interrupted our creator-creation moment by opening the floor to questions.

"Who are you? What are you? Why do you want to control us? Why hurt us?" Meredith asked, breaking the brief silence with her soft but curious tone.

Being the literary sadist of the group, I figured that my answer --that we were just a bunch of youngins behind keyboards with a strange hobby and that we hurt them because it was fun to watch-- would be the least helpful. I hoped to the stars that either Shea or Tony would have a more meaningful answer or could BS one on the spot. Otherwise, we were likely going to be Chris' next meal. Or maybe it would occur to Meredith that she could combine power augmentation and cell regeneration to kill us all by simulating years of untreated cancer in minutes, targeting cells on every body part, until our entire bodies were just giant bloated tumors. Good thing I had made her too kind to think of that. God, I hoped I had made her too kind to think of that.

[lil]

The chemistry was lost on me. I glanced at Lilith who gave no impression of minding that she didn't understand. But she lacked the curiosity I instilled in her. Hopefully it was just the situation. Perhaps in part because I didn't understand, Tony's reply didn't strike me as too sassy. On the other hand, I wasn't trying to see sassiness there, only the reason for the amusement Anna seemed to take in his answer. At least Tony tolerated pain well, though I tried not to give that anymore thought. When he turned his attention to me, his hand against my shoulder, I looked back with a small smile, murmuring. "You alright?

[/color]" Even after seeing the damage Seth inflicted, it was hard to rationalize that our characters could cause us pain or much less heal our wounds. In that moment, I was glad my own had very little ability that one could view as dangerous. Demi was my biggest concern, and I knew him well enough to realize that if I didn't touch Lilith, he wasn't likely to go after me. Briefly I considered making this point clear in case he wandered in, but I dismissed the thought, figuring Demi knew Lilith was safe with Seth in the room and wouldn't bother. Considering the number of chairs, it didn't seem like Demi or Sinclair were very necessary.

The word right repeated made me smile to myself in recognition as I took Anna's hand to rise from the floor, then sat down in the seat I'd abandoned before. Her mention of Sinclair caught me off guard, making my smile vanish in an instant.

"Somehow, I don't think Sinclair's my biggest fan. Maybe that discussion can act as a truce.[/color]" I replied. I tried to sound amused but I didn't manage- I was remembering the encounter with him in the previous room and feeling a sense of just desperate hopefulness. I took a moment to glance back at the door I'd exited from, but found quickly that watching Seth and Tony was far more pressing. For Lilith's part, it seemed she hardly noticed Seth's touch. Her attention was trained on Tony, darting from his eyes to where the wound should have been. I glanced in Tony's direction simply because she was, trying to see what she saw. Anna's comment, though audible, didn't have a clear recipient in my mind and I didn't look away to figure it out. Then, Mer's question. Finally my gaze, likely guilty as it had ever been, settled on her.

"Landon once said we were people with too much free time... sitting behind keyboards.[/color]" I had to pause. Not because Landon didn't actually say it or even because there was a chance the reference would be lost on them, but because this stopped making sense in that moment. I'm not sure why the sentence struck me. After keeping incredibly strange hours for Tony, I didn't doubt my tired mind could fabricate this. It was a little more elaborate than usual... Still, if this was what being tired meant, I was totally in favor of it. What was odd though was that things suddenly began to blur between reality and fiction for me. I'm sure they had computers. Yet it still opened the door to the idea that maybe they could create their own characters. Perhaps not this assembled group, but some of them, somewhere... Was that possible? Since this wasn't possible, I decided to let my dream turn into the never ending circle of unanswerable questions. That was something I was used to. Familiar was good.

"And... I don't hurt my characters. It's only the brilliant people who do. You get stronger that way.[/color]" I knew who I'd offend so I looked to Lilith. Lilith looked back at me, raising an eyebrow to reveal the closest to annoyance I had yet to encounter in any post I'd written. I looked away. The people I dared look at were now beside me, and then simply Seth from the other side. So I watched the leading prefect's expression just to make it seem like I wasn't too nervous to face Lilith. I already knew probably shouldn't have said it. More than anyone, I felt responsible for Meredith's pain, so I probably should have avoided speaking all together.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[twin1b]

Letting out a soft sigh was really therapeutic. It was a novelty that always caused a bit of thought from myself, exhaling a bit louder than usual had such a profound effect on the body and mind. That one exhale of breath seem to take away with it so much stress, and tension that often it felt like a weight was lifted from a person's shoulders. Of course, in this current situation, it was like relieving oneself of twenty pounds from the tons that were currently being pressed onto everyone's back. It was a relief, but neglectable in comparison to the remaining tension in the room.

I couldn't help but pause a little at the question Meredith had asked, and mulled it over myself as Shea talked about Logan, more than likely Anna's character from a different site, one that could hear the narration of his life. It brought a small smile to my face as I remember the outrage that the character had experienced when likened to butterfly's fluttering. This idle thought gave me some time to think of a response, but not enough time to filter my words. "For practice really, to make our worlds better than before, to ensure that it is a world to be proud of. In order for that to be true, there has to be trials and triumphs..." Here I died off, realizing that, while a good explanation for my actions, hearing it from the point of view of the characters would make it seem as if they were nothing more than toys. An idle play thing that I would abandon when I lost interest. Funnily enough, it made me want to bring back some old characters to breathe new life into them.

My eyes shifted towards Seth, immediately catching the narrowing of his eyes, and the new thinness to his lips. Obviously, he wasn't very fond of either of the explanations, but that was fine, I wasn't very fond of Shea's explanation either, it seemed too off, and I would've commented on it, if not for the fact that the situation was to tense for idle chatter among us at the moment.

Of course, surprisingly, a loud voice, on par with Chris's alto, sounded from the other side of the door. "Rao, eteud, Oui lyh'd vuum sa. E ghuf oui kud dras dutyo, E'ja paah gaabehk dnylg. E fyhd du caa dra uha fru'c syta oui'na meva yh ypcumida ramm. E ufa res so dryhgc."

I paused for a moment at that, a smirk crossing my face as I watched the door fall from it's hinges with a spray of water vapor to signify what happened. As it fell, I couldn't help but grin even more. At least I had one character loyal to myself. "E tu pameaja dra tuun fyc ihmulgat, pid E ybbnaleyda ouin ehcecdahla du pa y bynd uv drec syddan."

It was surprising to watch as the girl's eyes riveted onto me as I spoke, and I realized that she probably didn't expect anyone to understand her deceleration on the other side of the door. Silly really, that language, although invented by her in this realm, was one I choose for her. My knowledge was absolute in my characters, and I was proud of the fact that I strived to know just as much as they would, if not more.

Passing her gaze from myself to the other two, she walked behind us, laying on hand on my right shoulder, and taken a position that mimicked Chris's position to Seth. I found the situation amusing. "Anyways," She drawled, "I was just saying how wonderful it is that you could invite my role model to this realm, so that I could personally thank him for all he's done. For once Seth, you managed to do something right."

I couldn't help but notice, that, despite her insults, her words lent a jovial air to the entire situation, making everything more bearable and less stifling. With an unknown element in the situation, it appeared that Seth's Perfect Commander persona was waning due to a Battle Front entering the room. How interesting, so he hadn't managed to wipe out the guerrilla group yet.

[Deleted]

As Shea spoke up, saving my hide, I let out a quiet sigh of relief and crossed my ankles, content to be silent in this conversation. But then, following a mention of one of my coolest characters which made me silently smirk, I detected a sense of pained honesty with just a hint of subtle self-deprication, reminiscent of the voice of Oscar Wilde, in my friend's words. I looked to my literary fanatic character, but she seemed too wrapped up in other thoughts to appreciate the strikingly Wildesque tone, so I let it go and proceeded to other thoughts. My friend's explanation was problematic in at least one obvious way. Shea was a brilliant roleplayer whether she wanted to admit it or not, but before I could say that out loud, Tony offered his own explanation. I liked the "trials and triumphs" bit; having recently let go of a love myself, I knew that life needed a few dramatic peaks of change, of pain, in order for new life and joy to arrive. Then again, the so-called trials that we inflicted on our characters did seem a bit... well, excessive. I looked to Meredith in particular, who had lost her entire family and then permanently sacrificed part of her life force, inducing a near-crippling loss of stamina and immunity, to save her love, who turned out not to be hers at all. While the cruel storyline had its poetic poignance in my slightly demented mind, Meredith didn't seem to appreciate the poignance nearly as much. In fact, her neutral purple eyes momentarily flashed blue, hinting at colder emotions, and I knew that someone had to do something before the most loving person in the room realized that she could easily annihilate us all.

Luckily, a loud and jovial presence suddenly made itself known, and I smiled with relief, confident that we had at least a little bit of time before my character negated everyone's powers to prevent her classmates from thwarting her when she expanded our skulls inward to crush all our brains. Shudder. When the jovial girl finished giving Seth her back-handed compliments, I felt a release of tension in the room, accompanied by a moment of silence, and I realized, since Shea and Tony had both offered explanations for their actions, that it was my natural turn to speak, perhaps one of the few I'd receive. I gathered all my thoughts that had formed since my last chance to speak and took a breath before starting.

"Shea, you are deadly brilliant, like it or not," I said to Shea before turning to Meredith to address her question.

"Meredith, look at yourself now. Capable of unconditional love, yet wisened and strong, capable of turning around and kicking the ass of anyone who gets out of line. You reflect what I wish I could be. And the pain that got you there, it'll go away. I'll make sure of it." I winked at her. She remained unamused at the implication of my superpowers. Oh well. I looked at Seth and Lilith who seemed like a package deal at the moment.

"And you two, mad scientist and technopath who probably sucked us all into our computers, shouldn't you be happy that we gave you your happy ending together? Isn't that all that matters-- that everything fell into place in the end?" With Meredith glaring at me, I realized I was treading into dangerous territory with my endorsement of LiliSeth. Better to move on before I did anymore damage. My eyes fell upon the last familiar person in the room, Tony. Even though I should've been ecstatic to finally meet him (and I didn't even have to train any football spies for it to happen), in that moment, there didn't seem to be much else to say.

"I like your hair," I said, a playful smirk in my voice as I flicked the purple streaks.

[lil]

Unlike Tony, I didn't understand Alex. It made me think I was at the end of my dream, really. When things stopped making sense it was usually the conclusion. Instead, I saw water and a door collapsing. Startled, I cringed into my seat, which earned me a surprising glance of sympathy from Lilith as my fleeting glance went to her for assurance. My interest in her was replaced by my fascination with Tony. So he really could understand! Maybe putting more time into it would have made me appreciate Alexander more. After that thought, I wasn't sure if it was that or the fact that she was so close to Tony that made me watch her. My mind raced, trying to think of anything mean he'd done to her other than, well, forgetting her. She sounded sincere to me for the moment...

Hearing my name was slightly startling in the present situation. I regained my composure after only a few seconds, managing to smile as I looked at Anna. I was never very good with compliments. Shyly, I gave a small nod and murmured thanks- not even sure if that was a suitable response. I was glad that Anna looked away to Meredith next. I can't say I paid much attention though. My mind was focused now on what I should have said, given the chance to react differently in the same situation.

It was hard to miss Anna saying Meredith could harm us. Even with the distraction of my thoughts, I couldn't imagine Anna's characters being the killing type. Speaking of types... My eyes fell to the floor as I felt my face tint red as my mind wandered to a different type of skill set Anna attributed to characters' abilities. I could only hope no one pointed out that aloud.

It was my fault. When Anna started talking about Lilith, I guiltily forced myself to look up at her, watching her expression modulate gradually from surprise, to nervousness, to guilt, to simple discomfort. In fact, Lilith instantly tugged her hand away from Seth after the words 'happy ending' reached her ears, as if Anna's gaze or the fact that Seth and her were in the same conversation wasn't enough to warn her of what was coming next. I found it amusing to realize that in that moment she desperately wanted Seth to let go so that she could escape and hide behind Chris instead. My eyes went to Chris next. Despite the reluctance I'd first written Lilith with concerning Chris, I liked the duo's dynamics.

My guess was that Sinclair was not fond of being alone. Wandering out of the room Tony and I started in, he sauntered in and moved between the two sets of chairs. Ignoring Seth, Lilith, Chris, and Meredith, he stood in front of Anna and Tony, icily ignoring me.

"Amnesia.

[/color]" His words were simple and unmistakably definitive. Not accusatory at all. After a moment, he added, "She's still mine. Got it? Not metal boy's, and definitely not Bridget's.[/color]" Instead of letting that be it, Sinclair Gabriel's green eyes stayed on Anna, the intensity again reminding me of just how driven the charmer could be.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]