z

Young Writers Society


Pierpoint Academy for Agents in Training



User avatar
45 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 529
Reviews: 45
Fri Nov 06, 2015 4:27 pm
View Likes
Europa says...



Hey there guys. So I feel a little guilty of having another SB when my other one is still alive and well, but this idea wouldn't stop poking until I put it down..,you know how it is, right?

Alright! So the plot of this one is set in a dystopian future. The govornment pretty much rules the world, typical teen fiction setting, but with a bit of a twist.
As you may have guessed, the citizens have often tried to rebel, leading to the creation of Pierpoint. Orgionating as a school to train diplomats, creating a force dedicated to ending disputes peacefully, the Academy wasn't always dangerous or deadly in the least... until the people stopped listening to reason. Despereadte to keep control of the world, The leaders of the New World changed Pierpoint Academy's management, cariculum, and made it a facility training what might be the most violent orgonization ever created. The Black Fist.
With the change of pace, Pierpoint academy also lowered their standard of acception when it came to recruits. Scouts were instructed to pick the most dangerous, violent, or skilled marksmen, fighters, and spys they could find.
Resultinng in the school being filled with criminals, assassins, and in other brutal people.

These students were the ones to watch out for, usually convening into a large group that students called Sharks.
Sharks only focused on one thing: Eliminating competition.By any means possible.
In this school, it's kill or be killed. The strong take out the weak, and the mighty kill the competion of the strong.
Nothing short of Gods will make it past the training program, and pass the final tests.

Only the ruthless escape Pierpoint Academy.

Rules

. no supernatural powers this time guys, sorry.

.No killing off characters without their permission (There will be a list of NPC's that I created for the purpose of killing off)

.CUSSING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED

.Romance is okay, but not too graphic. Kissing is the limit

.be respectful to other storybookers

You can have up to two characters.


Template (There are six slots for Sharks, so if your interested in that, reserve a space)
Spoiler! :
Name:
Age: {16 to 18 years old}
Looks:
Gender:
Shark Y/N:
History:
Personality:
Strength:
Weakness:
Weapon Of Choice:


The list of Sacrifice characters will be in the DT. Have fun!





User avatar
45 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 529
Reviews: 45
Tue Nov 10, 2015 6:30 pm
View Likes
Europa says...



Evangeline Lakewood

There was only one other person on the bus with me. A small girl with sleek brown hair and an innocent looking face staring out at the barren landscape as it rushed by.
As if she felt my gaze on her, the girl looked away form the window. I gave her my best 'Scary Villain' look, which was terrifying on it's own, but made doubly so with my heavily scarred face.
She went back to looking out at the scenery.

The bus lurched to a stop in front of a huge brown brick building. It wasn't much to look at, but this school didn't need to be pretty to train the people it did.
The other girl got off the bus first. The guard sitting beside me unlocked my handcuffs, and I huffed a small sigh, shaking the feeling back into my hands. "And the knives too?"
The guard gave me a suspicious look.
I whipped out the sheet of paper I was holding. "Materials:" I read "weapon of student's choice." I held out my hand and the guard gave me the weapons. I stood and exited the bus, carefully slipping the knives into the many sheaths in my belt, as well as the hidden pockets in my leather jacket and boots.

Rule number one of a successful assassin: Always be prepared to kill.

I strode down the long walkway to the main building of the school, I couldn't help smiling a little.
Pierpoint Academy.
Where a murderer can be a murderer.
I pushed the door, and it opened with a bang. A hudred or so students looked around at the loud sound, and fell silent when they saw who was standing in the doorway.
The crowd parted for me as I strolled through the room. Not many students had a reputation before coming tp Pierpoint, but everyone had heard of me here. You can't be the most famous killer in the New World without gaining some recognition.
Only a few people in the room dared look me in the eye. A tight knit group standing at the end of the room, looking at me expectantly as I made my way purposefully over to them.

Sharks.

The pride of Pierpoint. Most of them criminals like I am, or mercenaries like I had been before I was caught.

My smirk widened into a twisted smile. I had plans for them.

I joined the rest of the Sharks, and gradually conversation continued. A tall, muscled boy with short brown hair approached me, accompanied by a kid who looked like the smaller version of his partner.
"Evangeline Lakewood." The bigger guy said. "For an infamous assassin, you sure don't look too intimidating."
He was right. I was small, and skinny, with limbs like twigs. I didn't look in the least bit threatening. But that was what made seeing what I could do all the more impressive. I met his eye with my own cold blue stare.

"You don't have to look the part to kill a man."

The moment I saw the smug way he looked at me, I knew who this was. I could see it in the way he carried himself. This was obviously the leader.
I feighned curiosity, changing my customary stone set glare with a mask of ignorance.
"And you are?"

"Brandon Hayes. This is my brother Grady."

"Leaders, am I right?"

Brandon nodded. "Make sure you don't forget that."

I only nodded.
'Oh, don't worry, Brandon.' I thought as I pushed my way into the thick of the crowd of Sharks. 'I won't. And I hope you don't forget about me.'
I laughed silently. Finding the one in charge on the first day made things so much easier. I wouldn't have to watch and determine now.

All I had to do was plan.





User avatar
41 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 2091
Reviews: 41
Tue Nov 10, 2015 8:44 pm
View Likes
LadyEvvy says...



Lunarien Calmari

The bus had only been on it's way for a few hours before it drew to a halt in front of a massive stone building. A prison. Someone stepped onto the bus, but I didn't look up to see who it was. I would find out in time.

The stranger, on the other hand, didn't seem prepared to wait. She threw herself down in a seat a few rows behind mine and proceeded to study me intensely. After a moment, I pulled my gaze away from the window to study her in turn.

She was smaller than I would have expected for the Academy, almost as small as I was, but definitely older than me. Her most notable feature, perhaps, was the vicious scars all over her face. Evangeline Lakewood, one of the most feared murderers ever known. When I turned to look at her, she sneered in what was obviously meant to be an intimidating manner. I considered feigning fear, letting her think she had the upper hand, but decided against it. We were going to the same school. No way would she fall for a ploy like that. I turned back to the window.

The bus finally stopped in front of a massive brick building. The structure was nothing if not ugly, but functional, I supposed. I paused a moment, waiting to see if the other girl would make the first move. She didn't. I stood up and shuffled to the front of the bus, trying to look nervous without making it obvious what I was doing.

I rubbed my wrists, finally free of the handcuffs, and the guard shoved my pocket knife into my hand. It was a small thing, but I rarely had any reason to use it.

I heard the girl talking to her guard behind me. "And the knives, too?... Materials: weapon of student's choice." Knives, huh? A rather intimate weapon. I filed this new information away.

I began the march toward the school building. The other girl strode past me and shoved the doors open so hard that they banged against the walls, announcing her arrival. I slipped quietly through the gap just before the doors could close again.

No one noticed me in the wake of someone with a much more significant reputation. Of course, everyone recognized Lakewood. She strode directly toward a cluster of vicious-looking people, with her chin held high and a confident gait. She knew what she was doing here. I'd have to watch out for that one.

I slipped into the crowd, still feigning nervousness, observing everyone around me. I spotted a girl standing with her hands shoved into her pockets. She seemed fearful, and as someone very experienced at faking it, I could tell her nerves were genuine. This was the one, at least to start.

I slid up next to her, tucking my arms up to my body and hunching over slightly as though to make myself smaller.

"H..." I pretended to fumble with my speech, but then correct myself and put on a more determined expression. I looked like a nervous young girl, pretending to be brave, not the other way around. "Hello."

She fell for it, relaxing as she realized I must be just as afraid as she was and trying to cover it up. "Hi."

"I'm Lun. Calmari."

She smiled. "Emily Harshaw."

A good start for day one.





User avatar
177 Reviews



Gender: Male
Points: 1093
Reviews: 177
Tue Nov 10, 2015 11:02 pm
View Likes
Chaser says...



Copperhead


My eyes were glued to the screen, fixed upon the digital display, watching the golden bullets blaze past my craft. I tilted the tablet up, sending my silver dogfighter spiraling skyward, puncturing the clouds. Some people gave me strange looks as I held my steel tablet above me, as though presenting it to the heavens.

I didn’t mind at all, focusing on playing my game. All these people, standing around the halls, waiting for class to start, were entitled to their opinions. But nothing more.

The blue sky blazed in the screen’s harsh sunlight as I leaned back further, piloting my airplane upside-down. This time, a storm of bullet fire shot past my right wing. The display fizzed for a second; most likely a bad connection. But the fighter plane beneath mine was as clear as crystal to me.

I grinned slightly, tilting my screen to send the plane whirling downwards. I had played this game thousands of times before, and I wasn’t about to lose here.

The cotton clouds whirled around my cockpit as the fighter fell, the realism slightly dizzying. I jerked the screen upwards, feeling the full weight of the joystick behind it. In these moments, I was as much in that airplane as I was sitting against the stone wall in the foyer hall of Pierpoint, odd looks doled out to me by my colleagues in crime.

Gripping the tablet tightly, I rolled across the floor, my fighter plane swooping into a cloud. The enemy craft, naturally, chased after it.

The screen turned white, signifying the cloud’s thick fog. Rocking the machine skyward, I banked hard against the air, a turn that would have made a normal pilot pass out. But I was no normal pilot.

Both of our planes punched through the cloud, but this time I was behind my opponent. A crimson target-lock icon pulsed on the screen, slowly capturing the enemy within its confines. An option popped up, reading “Fire.”

I didn’t hesitate.

The enemy plane exploded in a brilliant burst of crimson flame. The screen shook from the force as the fighter plummeted from the heavens, a meteor of metal and ash.

I rearranged myself against the hard wall as the words “You Win” flashed on the tablet screen. I smiled, pulling out a notepad from my coat pocket. I had chosen to wear a brown aviator jacket that day, for obvious reasons.

“Motion controls are still fine,” I muttered, producing a pencil to jot it down. “Might be another bug in the inverted flight; I’ll have to fix that later.”

“Hey! Nick!” I looked up; while it wasn’t my name, it could only have been addressing me.

The girl seemed to bounce as she ran towards me, waving. A bright smile lit up her features as her blond hair flowed out behind her. A less savvy person would have fallen in love on the spot. I remained rooted to the floor, back against the gritty wall.

“Olivia,” I rebuked as she approached, “my name is Copperhead.” I glanced up sharply to give the phrase emphasis.

She seemed to pout. “It really doesn’t suit you, you know? I mean, maybe if you had a helmet that looked like a snake…”

I ran a hand through my long black hair, shaking my head. “It’s out of the question, I’m afraid.”

Olivia laughed, clear and bell-like. It confused me; I hadn’t even said anything funny. “Hey, what’s that?” she said, pointing to my tablet.

I snatched the contraption from the floor, slipping it into my bag. “Just a project for programming class,” I explained quickly.

“Oh,” she said. “Making a simulator?”

My mouth suddenly felt dry. “Yes.”

The word hung in the air for an infinite second. Olivia’s gaze began to feel oppressive, her angelic smile tearing into my mind. “Anyway,” I began, attempting to change the subject, “why are you here? Did Grady send you?”

At the mention of his name, her eyes glazed over, and a fierce blush came to her cheeks. She quickly shook it away. “Brandon, actually. He wants a meeting before classes start.”

“My, my. He’s being quite proactive this semester, isn’t he?” Brandon had been the Sharks’ leader for as long as I could remember. If he was calling this meeting on such short notice, it meant that something had disturbed the balance.

Something, I mused, called Evangeline Lakewood. A small-scale villain, but skilled and notorious nonetheless. Brandon probably wanted to recruit her.

“Alright.” I nodded. “Tell him that I’ll meet them at the usual place.”

“Got it. Seeya,” Olivia called, jogging back towards where the other Sharks were lounging about. As I watched her go, I suddenly felt a breath of relief.

My hand shot into my bag, whipping the tablet out again. Thankfully, the plane was still flying, “You Win” flashing on the screen.

I quickly tapped the text, and a “Continue?” option popped up. I selected no, and the green text “Initiating Autopilot” slid across the top of the display.

Slipping the tablet back into my bag, I sighed. The drone would guide itself back to base; I had perfected the homing technology myself. But for whatever reason, I hadn’t felt like cluing the other Sharks in on one simple fact: The dogfight had been real.

“Sorry,” I apologized emptily to the pilot of the other plane, who I had just killed in cold blood. It did make for an interesting morning, though.

Standing up, I hitched my backpack up onto my shoulder, walking steadily towards the Sharks’ meeting grounds. The other students stared at me, looking down the bridges of their nose at my miniscule stature. And while I stood beneath them, I knew that I was the most terrifying of them all.

My given name was Copernicus Hewitt, but most knew me by the name of Copperhead. And long ago, I had sunk my venomous fangs into this school, into this government, into the world.

Now, all there was to do was wait.
Last edited by Chaser on Wed Nov 11, 2015 1:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
The hardest part of writing science fiction is knowing actual science. The same applies for me and realistic fiction.





User avatar



Gender: Male
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Wed Nov 11, 2015 12:22 am
View Likes
TheForgottenKing says...



William Black

"I've heard Lanchaster is lovely this time of year." I mused out loud. My guard watched me curiously, his hand on the trigger of his automatic weapon."I feel like I should be honored," I said."You know, being escorted by two members of England's elite special forces. What did you do? To deserve baby sitting duty, instead of out there, defending Queen and country?" I asked the guard. His face remained forward, but I could see his lip twitch. I had managed to gotten under his skin. "Lemme take a guess. Your probably the runt of the unit. Given the terrible jobs, forced to dig the latrines, serve the officers there dinner, clean up the barracks. Am I right?" Now the man was outright fuming. I leaned against my seat smugly, having done my godly duty, annoy authorities.

"Ah there it is, Pierpoint. Where delinquent children and teenagers are taught to kill for the government. Perhaps someday I'll be giving you orders eh boyo?" I grinned as we slowly pulled up behind a bus already dropping off... Students. The guard helped me out of the vehicle, an armored SUV. The other two guards watched me carefully as my lovely friend began to unbuckle my hobbles and handcuffs. "Three has always been my lucky number." I mumble. Soon I'm free and I grin at my guards." So chaps, I look forward to seeing you, and I've enjoyed our time together immensely. But I bid you adieu as I have more important things to do. Like become a legal killer. Anyways, where's my gear?"

One of the guards popped the trunk and retrieved a duffle bag, than handed it to me. I faked a curtsy as they began to leave. Another guard from the school came over. "Mr. William Black I presume?" She asked. I winked at her. "Aye that be me lass. And what can I do for you?" Rolling her eyes she gave me a pamphlet. "It's adorable." I said. She looked at me curiously. "That you gave me a pamphlet. It's almost like a getaway resort. You know. For killers, murderers, assassins and such." I smiled at her cheekily as I shouldered my duffle bag. I entered the building and was soon led to a cafeteria. People watched me curiously. And there she was.

I sat down next to the lass. Her eyes widened when she saw me than grinned. "So they sent you here to?" I smirked. "I voluntarily decided to come here. Your looking good Lakewood. Seems like your time in Iran really helped you in the skin department. Now not everyone will shudder and turn away in disgust." Evangeline shook her head. "Still quite the jokester aren't you?" I placed my hand on my heart."I swear on my only slightly black heart that I'll change my awry ways if you but grace me with a kiss oh beautiful queen." She pulled a knife from somewhere on her body and started playing with it, looking at me meaningfully. I grinned. "Ah I'm too cute to kill. Besides, I know how much you like having me around. Keeps you from going insane." She muttered darkly." Or makes me go insane." I smirked at her.

I had met Evangeline Lakewood several months ago. I had been hired by a gun runner to provide over watch during a sale by the Ukranian border. He had also hired Ms.Lakewood, so I got to spend some quality time with her as we planned out everything. Turned out the whole thing had been a setup by Spetsnaz, but she and I made a good team. Me provided cover with my sniper rifle and her with her particularly excellent skill set. We were the only ones who managed to live through the confrontation, so we split the available cash and parted ways. When SAS finally for ahold of me, I found out that she had been nabbed as well a few months earlier by American special forces. I had no idea which but my friend was in custody. I considered her a friend seeing as she had saved my life, and I was pretty sure she considered me her friend, especially when I saved her from a soldier trying to gut her. She always insisted that she could've taken him, but the headshot helped nonetheless.

I snapped out of my reverie as she poked me in the rib with her knife." Snap out of it Black. I need your help with something." I smiled evenly at her." Oh? And what might that be?"
"I make my own luck"- Shay Patrick Cormac





User avatar
15 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 525
Reviews: 15
Wed Nov 11, 2015 2:11 am
View Likes
HazelGrace16 says...



Cassia Blake


My heart pounds as I knock my opponent to the ground.

“I swear Geoffrey you’re getting easier and easier to beat.” I hold out my hand to the old man, and pull I him to his feet.

“That or you are becoming a more skilled fighter every day. Five minutes then we run it again. Not a second more.” I walk with Geoffrey towards the water station where we drink in silence. Geoffrey has been my mentor for as long as I can remember. My parents hired him to be my trainer when I was young, but they had no idea that he would one day become my best friend even if he is almost 40 years older than me. He was more of a parental figure in my life for 12 years than both of my parents combined in 16. Before my parents hired him Geoffrey was the most skilled fighter in the military. Sadly his combat days were short-lived due to a neck injury. That injury has defiantly not slowed him down.

“Are you nervous?” He asks.

“No.” I reply.

“Are you scared?”

“I don’t know how to be scared of anything anymore.” I rub my burned arms self consciously. Geoffrey is the only person I can wear tank tops or short sleeves around anymore. I can’t bear the stares anymore. “What happened to no talking during training sessions?” I ask.

“I can break my own rules Cass. Besides I won’t see you for a while, and I want to make sure you’re going to be okay.”

“Of course I will. I’ve been training for this my whole life.” I look down.

“But it’s not what you want?”

“It doesn’t matter what I say. I still have to go… They know the rumors there. Everyone in this blasted country knows the rumors. They’ll see me as a weakling. The poor rich girl who got kidnapped and branded by rebels like some cattle… I fought though. I fought so hard, but no one cares about that. All they see is the girl who got burned with the disgrace marks. A daughter of two powerful leaders pushed to the ground by a small group of radicals.”

“They don’t see you as the warrior who fought for 6 months in a prison. You feel like they will see you as weak. And you’ll quickly prove them wrong my dear, but you’re allowed to say it haunts you.”

“I’m not allowed to do anything Geoffrey, and neither are any of those children going into that school today. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m done for the day. Thank you for your service in training me. I am grateful.” I quickly rush out of the training room through the large empty hallways of the lonely mansion I grew up in. Tears stream from my eyes.

You mustn’t let them see you weak. EVER AGAIN.

Images of dark figures flash through my mind.

Forget.

When I reach my bedroom I see a package on my bed. A note attached to the box says

“Congrats. Love Mom and Dad.” I open it to reveal a beautiful new cross bow.

“Aw you shouldn’t have.” I say through clenched teeth.
I quickly shower, and get ready for my departure. I pull some clothing from my closet. I grab a pair of black jeans, a black t-shirt, my mother’s old leather jacket, my full arm finger-less gloves, and combat boots. Lastly, I pull my dark hair back into a braid. My things have already been packed for weeks. Fathers orders. All that’s left to do is get in the car waiting outside.

Geoffrey is waiting by the front door by the time I get there.

“Nice job trying to make me think my parents bought me this crossbow.” I say as I sling it across my shoulder.

“I thought I’d try.”

“Thank you…for everything.” I quickly rush into his arms, and he hugs me tight. I squirm a little and he releases.

“Good luck” He says.

“Goodbye.” I step through the door towards the car waiting for me.



When I arrive at the school I instantly recognize it. I was brought here many times by my parents.

I’ve always hated it.

A young man by the front entrance takes my things to my room, and I begin my walk around the courtyard. It’s sad that you don’t have to have super hearing to hear all the whispers echoing through the courtyard.

“Yeah, that’s her-“

“I heard she killed 18 rebels in her escape-“

“I heard that she has gone insane-“

“I heard they raped her-“

“Some say she actually joined the rebels, and her father gave her those marks as
punishment-“

“No wonder she’s been in hiding for years. Look at her-“

“I can’t believe they let her come here-“

“I bet she drops out in the first week-“

“I bet she’s hiding her scars with those gloves-“

Voices everywhere.

The whole time all I want to do is shove their faces into the ground until all that’s left is sludge, but I keep walking. Pretending like I can’t hear them. Pretending like I can hear anything. After awhile I accidentally run into a large boy. Most likely a year older than me and by his appearance I can only assume he is a shark.

“Sorry.” I barely whisper, and I keep walking.

He says something, but I don’t hear him.

I don’t hear anything anymore.
"Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine" - The Imitation Game





User avatar
45 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 529
Reviews: 45
Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:28 am
View Likes
Europa says...



Crow Hokkaido

The car glided smoothly down the road.
No no one spoke. My parents in the front seats were still fuming.
"I should've known!" My father spat for the thousandth time since the two day drive to Pierpoint.
"I should've seen the signs!"
I continued to look out the window. The brown brick building loomed in the distance. It was literally the last place I wanted to be.
when the car stopped I opened the door, slinging my backpack over my shoulder and pulling a wheeled suitcase from the trunk.
"Son." My mother spoke to me for the first time that entire drive.
"The gloves."
I silently pulled them out of my pockets, breathing in the sickly sweet smell of the new leather. I missed my old ones, but all my belongings had been confiscated when the rebellion group I had joined was found. I was lucky to have gotten my laptop and gun back, and that was only because I needed them for school.
I slipped the fingerless gloves over my hands, hiding the swirls of black ink blooming on m skin.
The whole reason I was here was because of those marks. I had chosen my own path, my own fight.

My parents had been shocked. Their son, a child of two respected Black Fist troops, a rebel.
I barely held in a sniff of disgust. How long had I been avoiding this place? How many years had I freared my parent's old school?
And now I was here. after nearly sixteen years of hiding form the possibility.
I turned to glare at my parents. "Well here I am. Just like you wanted. Finally satisfied? Or should I just kill someone now? In front of you?"
My mother wouldn't even meet my eyes.
My father, on the other hand, returned my glare and growled. "I agree wholeheartedly you aren't supposed to be here, Crow. You don't belong with the Black Fist, you're no soldier." He paused while I stared at him. That wasn't what I had expected him to say.
He choked on the next words out of his mouth. "You're no citizen. You're not my son."
I turned away as the car continued to drive down the road, away form the Academy.
"You probably think that stung, didn't you?" I muttered to myself.
"Well, that's fine, Mr. Hokkaido. You're not my dad."
.......

The building was full of people. Most were talking with one another, but a few kept to themselves. I was one of those people.
I scanned the crowd for the large group of Sharks I knew would be there, and still was a few hours later when something went bang. I jumped a little and looked in the direction of the noise. The door had been thrown wide open and a girl stood in the doorway, the sunlight making her pale blonde hair shine gold. the room fell silent at the sight of her, and quickly got out of her way as she swept into the room.
My mind began racing, reciting the information I had learned about her. During the ride I had used my handy little mini laptop to hack into Pierpoint's mainframe and record information on the students.

'Lakewood, Evangeline.
Possibly the most notorious assassin for hire known to the law.
Most Wanted Criminal for two years.
Last seen in a maximum security prison in Iran.

Ugh. Of course they'd recruit someone like her.


Her scarred face twisted into a sick smile as she spotted a large gorup gathered at the back of the room.
So those were the Sharks.
The two Hayes brothers, Brandon and Grady, were wathcing Evangeline with interest.
I let out a small scoff. Brandon would recruit her, I was certain of that, and he'd end up paying.
Evangeline was a mercenary, a goup of people I had come into contact more than I would've liked to, courtesy of my parents. And the one thing they all had in common was ambition. I had only seen this particular assassin once, but I knew she was more power hungry than most. She'd want control over the Sharks, and no doubt she would get it.
no matter whose lives she took in the process.

I was already sick of this place, and everyone in it. I turned on my heel and pushed out into the courtyard.
There were people out here too, but it wasn't as crowded.Someone poked their head out the door.
"Hey Pete! You'll never guess who just came through the door!"
A lanky redheaded boy looked around at his freind. Instantly I began rciting the contents of his file
Wise, Peter.
17 Years old.
Choice weapon: Handgun
Technology is his strong suit. Good programmer and excellent Hacker.


At this I let out a small laugh. A tiny chuckle, but a real one.
Good, but not as great as me.

"Who?" Pete called.
"Lakewood!"
Pete wasted no time in rushing through the door, nearly knocking his friend over in the proccess.

I rolled my eyes.
'What is he planning to do, get her autograph?'





User avatar
271 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 414
Reviews: 271
Sat Nov 14, 2015 4:23 pm
View Likes
Gravity says...



Aria

After I got off the bus, I knew I'd asked for trouble. Everybody stared at me as I walked in. People in general were whispering about us. Sharks.

I spotted a few familiar faces from news broadcasts and wanted signs. One in particular, Evangeline Lakewood. I immediately singled her out as my biggest opponent here. The boys would be somewhat easy to take care of. Most of them had a similar build- big. Evangeline was small and nimble, a little bit more so than me. But I also knew her as legendary.

While Evangeline was my biggest component I could already see that she was a lot like me. She was looking at me, analyzing me as I watched her and I saw a few emotions flicker across her face. One was frustration, she couldn't read me. I was calm, cool, collected. You have to be to be a martial artist. My expression and my body language would be totally unreadable, my center intact. She stood up a little straighter and I could tell she didn't think very much of me.

I watched the way she had sauntered into the school before me, all eyes on her. She was used to being the center of attention, she prided herself on being the best. I knew this would lead to her underestimating her opponents, therefore myself. I could use this to my advantage. But I could also count several knives in sheathes and knives that were concealed on her, that made me nervous. This told me she liked to throw knives, one does not simply carry multitudes of combat blades. I prefer to use knives more intimately.

I stretched out my arms, feeling the butterfly knives that were carefully concealed against my arm guards. I always wore them. They stretched from the middle of my upper arm to my wrists and were made of a thick canvas reinforced with tiny steel threads. I always wore these guards to protect me from cuts, it was very difficult to get the blade of a knife through these guards. To anybody else, they looked like a fashion statement. To me, they protected several major veins and arteries. They were somewhat itchy and a little uncomfortable at times but if it meant protecting my arms, I needed them.

There was another Shark on a tablet, I think they called him copperhead. I knew I probably wouldn't be interacting very much with him, he made me nervous. I also knew that he probably fought with some kind of machinery, he wasn't fit like the other kids at school. He wasn't fat by any means but he just didn't have that fighter's build.

Then there was Will. He was short, about my height. He was a slight thing but he had a gleam behind his eyes that made me hesitant. He wasn't very built either and I wasn't sure if his thing was technology or not. By the way he held himself, I suspected a kind of taekwondo maybe but I couldn't be sure. I also could see that he was consistently keeping weight off of his right leg.

Overall, the group made me kind of nervous.

"So you're the other girl." Eva spoke up.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"You're the girl people have been talking about. The street urchin." She didn't say it to be rude, she said it to confirm my identity though being polite was not one of her concerns.

"Yes," I told her, keeping my face neutral, "So I probably don't have nearly as much experience in the field as you do." Again, she searched my face, she couldn't tell if I was lying or being sarcastic. But I wasn't. Part of keeping my center meant being humble, knowing when you have an opponent who could potentially best you.

"No," she said, "probably not. But those look like some wicked butterfly knives." she said, pointing at my forearms.

"Thank you," I said, she had been analytical enough to identify a girl with knives concealed in arm guards. Not that anybody else other than a skilled knife thrower could tell that. She continued to study me, again, and I could tell one thing.

Evangeline Lakewood was either going to be my worst enemy or my most powerful ally.

Spoiler! :
@TheFantasy14 @Chaser @TheForgottenKing
Last edited by Gravity on Sun Nov 15, 2015 1:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
And the heart is hard to translate
It has a language of its own
It talks in tongues and quiet sighs,
And prayers and proclamations

-Florence + The Machine (All This and Heaven Too)





User avatar
45 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 529
Reviews: 45
Sat Nov 14, 2015 11:27 pm
View Likes
Europa says...



Evangeline Lakewood

"Snap out of it, Black. I need your help with something."
Will smiled.
"Oh? And what might that be?"
Sure,like I was going to tell him right off the bat.

"I thought you'd know me better than that, William Black." I scowled.

Will's grin widened.
"In other words, you're not going to tell me unless I agree? Have it your way. You know how much I love surprises."

Guh. I forgot how annoying this guy could be.

"I have a plan for this school, but I'll be needing a little more power in my corner."

"So of course I'm the first person you think of. Why, Eva, I'm flattered!"

"Save the jokes. Are you in or not?"

"And what do I get for this? The satisfaction of a job well done? My tuesdays good turn?Who do you think I am, a Boy-ruddy-Scout?"

I flashed him a muderous look. I'd given it to him countless times before on our mission, and he knew what it meant.
'You better shut up or there will be blood.'
He'd only ignored that look the first time I'd looked at him that way, hence the V shaped scar in his left ear.

He stopped talking.

"Thought making it through Pierpoint with your limbs intact would be a reward in itself." I sniffed, slipping the knife I was holding back into my jacket.

Will smirked. The danger of my blade had passed and he was free to make jokes at my expense.
"Really, Ev? Death threats right away? That's not very ladylike you know." He shook a mocking finger at me.

This stupid Brit was getting on my last nerve.
"Well?" I snapped.
Will propped his feet up on the table.
"Sorry, Ev. But I'd really rather not get shot through the chest on my first week here."

I shrug.
"Do what you want. One way or another, I'll get what I'm after."
I slide off the bench, and make my way out of the cafetiria. People who had been watchin Will and I talk began rushing Will, shouting questions.

Oh for heavens sake! Don't encourage him!

I scowled. I had seen the glint in Will's eye. He knew I was planning something, and he wanted a part of it, but then, why would he refuse?
That question was one I could answer on my own. He wanted something. Just like any sensible mercenary, William wasn't going to work for free.

Walking out into the main hall, I took a glance around at the people hurrying through. The second and third year students, heading to their classes. They all looked varying levels of tough, but the one who caught my eye was a small boy, someone even smaller than me, which was impressive. He was sitting against the wall, doing something on a tablet. He didn't seem to noitce me watching him.
Without warning, he jumped up, holding the tablet up to the celing, then bent over backwards until his hair was brushing the floor. I could just see the tiny images of two planes locked in a dogfight.

Hmmm....

I pushed out of the building and out into the courtyard, which was bustling with new students. A tall,strong looking Japanese boy was sitting on a bench.
He looked the sort who would be good with hand to hand combat, and the large gun case sitting beside him revealed his weapon to be a rifle. It was the same size and shape as Will's case, so maybe they used the same gun.
The boy also looked fairly young, most likely barely meeting the age limit of the Academy.
I identified him as a potential ally, and moved on through the crowd.
That's where I saw her. A slim little girl wearing a black leather jacket and long fingerless gloves.
This, I assumed, must be Cassia Blake.

Not worth my time.

.........

The redhead and I crossed paths again a couple hours later. I had seen her in the main building when I first arrived.

She was the unreadable one.
Frankly the way she concealed her emotions was both impressive, and frustrating.
I relied on my ability to assess an opponent when working out tactics, and this kid wasn't making plotting her downfall any easier for me.
When she passed by me again, I decided to make an attempt to know my opponent better.

"So you're the new girl."

Red stopped and turned to look at me.

"Excuse me?"

Okay. Time to assess. First most common flaw. Anger.

I faked a neutral expression, as if I wasn't trying to get under her skin.

"You're the one everyone's been talking about. The street urchin."

Nothing. Not the slightest twitch.

"Yes" She said. He expression was still a blank slate.

Okay. So anger's out.

What she said next surprised me.
"So I probably don't have nearly as much experience in the field as you do."
I did another analisis of her expressoin. Maybe I had missed something.

But no, from what I could tell, she was being completely honest.

Well, as long as she was going to complement me. It would be rude to not accept praise right?

"No probably not."

Next weakness, surprise.

"But those look like some wicked butterfly knives."
I gestured to her arm guards. The untrained eye wouldn't have been able to see the thin outline of the blades inside the guards, but I had plenty of experience checking people for hidden weapons.
You could never be to careful in my line of work.

She didn't look to impressed. Still doing her best impression of a rock.

"Thank you." Red said.

As frustrating as this kid was, I knew nothing about her, and that made her my biggest threat.


In that instant, I knew she wasn't just my biggest threat, she had become my biggest rival as well.
She was the one I'd watch out for.
......

Red swept off, and I kept walking in the opposite direction. I was only halfway to the door when I felt the hair on the back of my neck prickle. Someone was watching me. I stopped and looked over my shoulder.
It was a large, well built African American boy.
He didn't look too happy to see me. I could tell form where I was standing he was different form the rest of the students. Unlike them, he wasn't about to swoon over me like some celebrity.

Fine by me.

But one thing about him irked me. He might not admire me, but he didn't look afraind of me either.

Oh, well. Ther'll be time for that later.

He looked angry. I could see the hate in his eyes from accross the room.

I gave him a snarky smirk.
This was a person I could work with.





User avatar
177 Reviews



Gender: Male
Points: 1093
Reviews: 177
Sun Nov 15, 2015 5:48 am
View Likes
Chaser says...



Copperhead


Rounding the corner, I ducked behind one of the marble pillars, making certain no one was watching. Squished between the pillar and the wall, I ran my fingers over the ornate white grooves. An irregularity soon presented itself, in the form of a camouflaged nine-key pad. My fingers scrambled across the keys, typing in the password. 1975. That was the year Jaws had been made, right?

With a low hiss, the panel slid back, and the pillar’s casing swung open soundlessly. Inside, a rusty ladder beckoned me down into the crippling darkness. I complied, carefully closing the door behind me, and scuttling down the precarious ladder. It used to be a newer, more sturdy one, but one day, a step had broken through, and blood had rusted the predecessor permanently. Naturally, such an event gave Brandon the brilliant idea of making the entrances the most dangerous places in the academy.

If I was correct, this one had a - yes, an arrow trap. I swung to the side, the metal creaking as a silver shaft embedded itself directly between the rungs.

Nearing the floor, I jumped off, landing softly on the stone floor. Walking down a tunnel, I came out into a dusky room with stone walls. Supposedly, this was the “Phantom Alcove,” an empty space that had been left when the academy was built. From here, tunnels and passages stretched to practically everywhere in the school. I had a hunch that it was purposely built for the strong to monopolize.

Speaking of the strong, they were congregated around a long wooden table, mumbling amongst themselves. Brandon sat at the head, Grady at the bottom. This way, if command were ever eliminated, literally all the Sharks would have to do was turn their heads. Unfortunately, this was about as civilized as the Sharks got.

Brandon kicked his feet up, his face shadowed by the single lamp swinging overhead. “Copperhead. Glad you could join us.”

“It’s a pleasure, Brandon.” Walking forward, I took the seat next to Grady. Olivia sat across from me; of course, her attention was completely devoted to Grady Hayes.

“We both know that you don’t feel pleasure, Copper.” Brandon spoke with a familiar tone, as though addressing an old cellmate. I’d known him since we’d entered the academy together, roughly four years ago. The sinister, sharp-toothed smile was his defining feature.

Putting his feet down, he leaned forward, placing his elbows on the wood. “Well, now that our resident psychopath is here, we can begin.” The harsh light made clear the fact that he was unnaturally pale, with a complexion the shade of snow. Once, I called him the Great White Shark as a joke. He had responded by attempting to murder me with a butterknife. Better memories, in retrospect.

“So, Evangeline Lakewood.” Brandon spread his hands, showing that he was open to discussion. “Thoughts?”

“She’d make a valuable member,” Grady said, clasping his hands thoughtfully. “It’d be nice to have her with us.”

Olivia seemed to pout with jealousy. I eyeballed her pitilessly.

“She might be more trouble than she’s worth,” another Shark put in. He had a habit of gritting his teeth when he spoke; it made him rather difficult to understand.

“Nothing is too much trouble for us,” Brandon rebuked, staring at the other Shark for emphasis. He liked to stress that we were the giants of Pierpoint.

“She’s dedicated,” a girl pointed out.

“Dedicated to what, though?” the boy countered.

“Dedicated to outshining your sorry-”

“Alright,” Brandon broke in calmly, before a fight could erupt. “How about you, Cop?”

I brushed my black hair, pretending to look thoughtful. “Evangeline Lakewood is a widely known name. Perhaps we could gain power from her reputation alone.

“Still, that could make her a worthy contender for leadership.” I countered myself before anyone else could jump in. “So, all in all, we’re dealing with a loose cannon. I suggest diplomacy, without trusting her.”

The Sharks fell silent, gnawing on my plan. Grady spoke up. “But how can we get her to trust us?”

“We send in someone who’s just like her, of course,” Brandon said. Looking at me, he smiled and nodded maliciously. “Your plan, your job, Copper. That sounds good to me. All those in favor?”

It was really just ceremony, because everyone had to agree with Brandon. The Shark leader surveyed the raised hands and nodded. “Alright. Copperhead, Evangeline’s your responsibility now.”

His tone was relaxed, but his eyes were cold. I could tell that he had already gone over the options and chosen the best one, perhaps even before I did.

"Any other ideas for recruits?" Brandon, ever the quintessential politician.

"Lakewood's been hanging out with someone," Olivia said, standing up proudly. She beamed at Grady, her eyes shining, yearning for his praise. His eyes, however, stayed fixated on his brother.

"Such as?" Brandon prompted sharply.

Olivia stuttered, surprised at the lack of attention. "U-um...William Black."

"The Brit? Ah, always the British. Why've they had so many queens as of late? It's like the kings have been forgotten..." Brandon shook his head. "But I digress. Sure, we could consider it. If he's dangerous enough to hang with that psycho, then he might be of some use. Who knows?" He smirked. "We might even get a two-for-one deal."

I nodded, pretending to assimilate the information. But Brandon and I both knew that I had taken it into account long before.

Brandon smiled. "Thank you, Olivia."

Casting a final, desperate look around, Olivia sat back down. Grady didn't so much as twitch.

We went over a few other people after that: some hacker, some archer, some girl whose name sounded like a fried squid dish. Someone snarled when Cassia Blake was mentioned; I don't know who. Grady pointed out a strange girl who wore armguards, speaking with a hint of admiration, much to Olivia's chagrin.

Eventually, Brandon nodded and clasped his hands. “So, aside from the newbies, I think we should all put forth twice the effort today, to show these wannabes what it means to be a real Black Fist. Whaddaya say?” Murmurs of agreement rippled through the gathered Sharks.

“And that covers everything, I suppose. Meeting adjourned.” Brandon and Grady stood up simultaneously, disappearing down one of the passages. Gradually, the other Sharks did the same, vanishing through the tunnels that snaked under Pierpoint’s campus, eventually leaving Olivia and me alone at the wooden table.

“Shouldn’t you be leaving?” I asked Olivia, who was slumped over the table, her blond hair splayed out like golden tentacles.

“What’s the point?” she mumbled dejectedly. “Grady didn’t even look at me.”

I sighed. “To be fair, it’s a poor idea to look for love in a school of criminals.”

“You don’t understand, Nick.” Olivia dragged herself to her feet, rubbing her eyes. “You don’t know what it feels like to love.”

My hand clenched, for the briefest of moments. “Perhaps not. Still, it seems greatly disadvantageous to depend upon another for your emotional wellbeing.”

Olivia just sighed. “Of course you’d say that.”

I stood up, my chair scraping back. For some reason, I did not wish to be in her presence any longer. “I’ll be off now. See you in class.”

“Bye, Nick.” Olivia’s voice rang in my ears as I traveled back the way I came. For some reason, it seemed to bounce off the stony tunnel walls as well, reverberating in my skull.

“Odd,” I murmured, climbing back up the ladder to the school of criminals.
The hardest part of writing science fiction is knowing actual science. The same applies for me and realistic fiction.





User avatar
41 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 2091
Reviews: 41
Sun Nov 15, 2015 8:36 pm
LadyEvvy says...



Lun Calmari

I talked to Emily Harshaw for a bit. At first, she didn't really seem like she belonged at a school like this. Nervous around the larger kids, meek, and seemingly unarmed, she looked as though she'd freak out if anyone ever confronted her. She told me all about her dog, and her old friends. I paid attention, committing the information she gave me to memory. She looked like she was going to break down in tears at any minute, apparently glad that someone was listening to her.

Eventually though, I figured her out. Her parents had sent her to the school, not so much because she could handle it but in the hopes that it would toughen her up. Surely some time spent around fighters and criminals would teach her a lesson? I worried about how people would see me for hanging around her. She would certainly make me look more harmless, but she might also turn me into a target. As her "friend", I would be expected to stick up for her, especially since I was taking the guardian angel route with her.

I decided I'd stick with her, but explore some other options as well. With any luck I'd be able to dump this one within a few weeks, or at least move her to a side position.

One thing I knew needed to happen. I had to find someone else to work with, fast.

"I'm going to go talk to some other people. Will you be alright on your own?" It wasn't hard for me to take up the concerned-motherly-friend role.

"I think so." Her voice shot up on the last syllable. She was going to depend on me a lot, wasn't she? As soon as I found someone else, this girl was screwed. Maybe she'd become someone else's problem.

I gave her my most reassuring smile and walked off into the crowd. I glanced around, looking for potential targets. I didn't want to make it too obvious that I was summing people up, so I tried for nerve-wracked, sporadic glances. I knew I wouldn't have much time. The staff had already given us plenty of time to meet each other, and surely they'd be dishing out dorm assignments and class schedules soon?

I glimpsed someone shoving their way through the crowd, but I can tell she didn't know where she was trying to go. Just avoiding people, I supposed. Cassia Blake, I recalled from my brief study of the school roster. A social outcast, and therefore another reasonable target.

I shuffled up and muttered a greeting, still playing the part of fearful child. She ignored me, so I tailed her through the crowd for a ways. Eventually, she stopped and leaned against a pillar.

"Hello." I spoke a bit louder this time, but it was still barely more than a murmur.

She finally looked up at me. "Who the heck are you?" She wasn't happy to see me. That was understandable. I'd heard a few of the things people said behind her back.

I flinched at her tone. A bit delayed with my reaction, I thought. I hoped I wasn't losing my touch. "I'm Lun. Lun Calmari. I'm new here, too." I kept my shoulders hunched, but looked up at her face.

She turned her head up to stare forward, not even looking at me. "Cassia Blake. What do you want?"

I flinched again. "I was just saying hello." This one was going to be a bit tougher than Harshaw. While Harshaw was looking for a friend, Blake was trying to avoid anyone and everyone. Still, she wanted to look good in the eyes of others, and having someone look up to her might boost her ego a little. I just had to keep from over-doing it.





User avatar
15 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 525
Reviews: 15
Sun Nov 15, 2015 9:26 pm
HazelGrace16 says...



Cassia Blake


Lun Calmari

Clearly my age, but exceptionally tiny. By her eagerness to talk to me, I can only guess that she wants allies. Sharks see her as bait, and she wants to prove them wrong. Just like everyone else at this stupid school. Only a few moments here, and I can already tell how the system works.

“Look. Lun is it? It’s not that you don’t seem like a nice girl, but it's probably in your best interest to stay away from me. If you’ve actually listened to half the gossip going on around school you would know that I’m not exactly an Evangeline Lakewood type famous. Not the best person to be friends with. Unless you want to get added to the traitor part of the school. Population 1, and I’d like to keep it that way. No one deserves the gossip I’ve gotten. Now if you’ll excuse me.” I move past her heading towards the combat area. I need to take some time to get out of my head.

“Wait! I just want to know-” She yells after me. I turn sharply on my heels to face her.

“Ah I get it now. You don't want to be friends. You want to know the “real story”. Well, I’ll tell you what I’ve told the past 8 people. It's none of your damn business. Crap happened, and I got blamed for it. Go tell that to the other gossips. That's the story I have, and that's it! Now leave me alone.” I turned again and jogged towards the combat zone.

“But-” She says something, but I don't listen.

Keep running.

I hate this school.

When I reach the combat zone only a few students are there. Students trying to suck up to the instructor before actual classes start tomorrow. I walk right past the instructor, and I go straight for the dummy station towards the back of the large room. I find a spot away from the view of the other students. I’m not looking for permission right now. I want to be alone. I go through my techniques a few times before I hear a deep voice from behind me.

“Cassia Blake. I thought I heard you were coming this year.” I watched as he look at all of me. Clearly a shark. The cocky persona explains it all.

“My eyes are up here.” I say.

“Let me guess they’re under the long gloves.” He seemed to snarl. “The rumors seem to be true. Beautiful, and traitorous. Let me guess. You’re parents kidnapped you back and beat you for your actions. They couldn't possibly have a traitor in the family. So they had to literally whip you back into shape.”

“Who’d you get that one from?”

“Now why would I tell you? That's the fun of it right? So many stories, and nobody knows what to believe.” He walks towards me. He gets so close that I can smell his horrid breath. I must be hallucinating because it smells like blood. He brings his lips to my ear.

“Is it true you have a thing for men who control you?” He wraps one arm around my waist and pulls me up against him, and the other hand strokes a piece of my hair that has fallen out of my pony tail. I grab his head with both of my hands, and with one swift movement I bring his face to my knee. I drop him to the ground after I hear the crunch of his nose breaking. He slowly stands back up holding his bleeding nose.

“You little bitch!” He charges me, and grabs my arms from the back. I quickly twist out of his grasp, and I use the momentum to swing over his back slamming him to the ground. I kick him multiple times, and he screams. Tears fall from my eyes quickly.

“Don’t you ever touch me again you creep! Do you hear me now!” I yell.

“Yes!” I kick him with all my force in the stomach one last time, and rush away from the battle. I nearly run straight into another student.

“Are you alright?” He asks. I look up to see a well built, dark skinned boy. I can tell he is not a shark, because he asked about me. Not the idiot who I just beat up.

"No!" I yell. When I see his expression I know I screwed up. I cracked, and in front of a stranger too. I quickly wipe my eyes.

"I'm sorry." I push past him, and guess who's standing by the doorway.

Evangeline Lakewood.

Great. This just keeps getting better.

I push past her as well, and I don't stop running this time.

Keep running.

Keep running.
"Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine" - The Imitation Game





User avatar
271 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 414
Reviews: 271
Sun Nov 15, 2015 11:22 pm
Gravity says...



Xander

It was my first day at pierpoint and I could already tell that most of these people were heartless. They had no humanity and that scared me. Staying alive in a school full of people who have no regard for human life would be nearly impossible and I was terrified of what might happen.

So when I saw some guy grab a girl and then watched her kick the crap out of him... I wasn't sure whether I should get involved or not. But I searched for the humanity within myself, determined to keep it intact. And I ran over there just as she was finished breaking his nose. If it had been me, I would've broken a lot more than just his face.

"Are you okay?" I asked, looking at her tear stained face. She quickly wiped at her eyes and I could tell she was afraid. Not only because she'd just been attacked but she was afraid because she was afraid. Pierpoint academy was probably the worst place in the world to show weakness. But those tears told me something. She wasn't as cold as the rest of them.

She pushed past me and a girl standing in the doorway. Evangeline Lakewood. Eva, as she was known. I hated Evangeline. She was the worst of the worst, probably the most heartless other than maybe that kid, Copperhead. And from the smirk on her face I knew she'd probably watched the whole thing. And she had done nothing.

"Lakewood," I growled, walking up to her, about to run after the girl. "Did you just watch all that happen?" I yelled.

"So what if I did?" she grinned, crossing her arms.

"You are heartless. I hope you're proud of yourself. You're a monster." I spat on the ground on her shoes and called her a word you probably shouldn't ever repeat in front of your parents. Then I spotted her running up the stairs in the school. I ran after her, beginning to get out of breath as we climbed staircase after staircase.

Eventually , a floor ahead, she disappeared. I got the the 3rd floor of the school but the next level up was made of a rickety wooden staircase. I walked up, continuing cautiously.

"Hello? I'm coming up, just to let you know. I'm holding my bow above my head so please don't shoot." I saw her, her bow trained on me, watching me as I climbed up the stairs.

"Why did you follow me?" she asked as I set my bow down carefully on the ground in front of me, placing my sheath of arrows right next to it.

She kept her bow trained on me as I spoke. "Because I saw you cry."

"Did you come up here to torment me?" she spat, never loosening her grip on the bow.

"No," I replied, "I came up here to make sure you were okay. I wanted to applaud you for having emotions, not everybody here does. We're in the snakepit and it's so difficult to stay true to who you are." I probably sounded like the biggest cliche ever, but I guess it worked. She finally lowered her bow.

"What's your name?" I asked, taking a careful step towards her. I stopped when I saw her body tense.

"Cassia," she said. "And yours?"

"Xander." I replied. "My name is Xander."

Spoiler! :
@TheFantasy14 @HazelGrace16 Hazel, ball's in your court for your next post
And the heart is hard to translate
It has a language of its own
It talks in tongues and quiet sighs,
And prayers and proclamations

-Florence + The Machine (All This and Heaven Too)





User avatar
15 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 525
Reviews: 15
Mon Nov 16, 2015 2:30 am
HazelGrace16 says...



Cassia Blake


“Xander? Thank you for checking up with me back there, but I don't need your help. I can take care of myself. Now please just leave me alone.”

“But-” He took a step towards me, and I raised my bow once more.

“Don't test me. You may have been kind to me, but that doesn't mean I trust you in any way.”

“Okay. Okay.” He raised his hands and slowly sat down on the steps below me. “How about we start off with some basic questions.” He leans against the grey stone wall.

“Oh my god! Will you people just leave me alone! It isn't any of your business what happened to me when I was kidnapped. Could you just stop asking about it? How could you possibly think this is something I want to talk about to anyone. Let alone strangers!” I don't care if my voice fills the stairwell. One thing I learned from my many visits, is that no one uses this stairwell.

A perfect hideout.

“I didn't know about that.” He says. My stomach clenches as his words echo throughout the stairwell. “I don't really listen to the news about our country. I have heard your name before, but I never bothered to listen to the propaganda bull crap they show on television and in newspapers. The Traitor Daughter. Doesn't really sound like my kind of literature..”

“You’re lying.” I say.

“What could I possibly gain from lying?” He asks.

“My trust.”

“It isn't about trust in this world. You can't trust anyone anymore. All you can do is hope that someone benefits enough from you that they will keep your secrets. It wouldn't matter anyways, because I don't want your sad story. I want to get to know you. For you. Because you’re the only one I’ve seen today that actually might be interesting to get to know. Someone who doesn't just want to kill people.”

“I do though.” I say quietly.

“That's only because you’re angry. You don't want to do it for sport I'm guessing.”

“No, I don't.”

“That's what I thought.”

“Now that we that off our chests. Why don't you put the bow down, and take a seat.” He nestles up against the wall to make himself comfortable, and closes his eyes. “These stairs are actually pretty comfortable. Could get used to coming here everyday.” He says jokingly. I put away my bow, and sit down about 6 steps above him. I see him open one eye to look at me. I quickly look in the opposite direction.

“It’s quiet here.”

“Exactly my point. So Cassia-”

“It’s Cass...if you want to call me that.” I interrupt. “Cassia reminds me too much of when my father is yelling at me.” I slightly laugh, but it’s forced.

“I see. Well, Cass. What's your favorite color?”

“Are you serious? Out of all questions you could ask you start off with the most cliche one of all?” I ask baffled.

“What can I say? I’m a classy guy.” He smiles at me, and I slightly smile back.

“I love blue…” I say quietly. I don't look at him, because I’m afraid he’ll see me. No one has ever truly seen me. No one has ever tried.

“Mine’s green. Now question two…” I can't help it. This time I really smile.

Stop it Cassia.

Remember you have to keep running...
"Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine" - The Imitation Game





User avatar
271 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 414
Reviews: 271
Tue Nov 17, 2015 3:45 am
View Likes
Gravity says...



Aria

A random boy came up to me.

"Arm guard girl," he said,

"That's me." I was curious but I wasn't about to show it.

"You are to report to bunker 3A. The sharks want you there," he looked nervous, as if he was just someone expendable who did there bidding.

"And if I don't go?" I tried to look bored.

He quivered. "Please go," he whispered, "If you don't they'll take it out on both of us." He ran away after that and I realized I had no choice. If this boy, fit as he was, was terrified of the sharks... I should be too. But not for myself, for him.

I jogged over the bunker.

Evangeline Lakewood was the first person I saw and many of the other sharks were in there as well.

"Listen up," one boy said, presumably the leader, "Nobody wants to bunk with us. Or they try to hurt us. So, until you are evaluated, fresh meat sleeps with the rest of the sharks, capiche?" I nodded, everybody started getting ready for bed. The boys and girls weren't separated and I grabbed a top bunk above Evangeline. The mattress was thick enough so that no one could stab me through it but I wanted to get under her skin. She eyed me wearily and I wanted to laugh. I was probably more afraid of her than she was of me yet she probably thought otherwise. I kept my face carefully arranged in a mask at all times, especially around her.

There were two bathrooms in the bunker and it was understood that the girls got one bathroom and the boys got the other. I went in to take a shower and I really liked the set up. Essentially, the shower was made of a metal door, kinda like those industrial swinging kitchen doors. But it locked from the inside. There was no opening in the top or the bottom and there was no lock or knob on the outside, the door swung inward, insuring nobody could luck you in by pushing something up against the door. The shower was my solace, the one place I could relax. This was where nobody could get to me.

I finally removed my arm guards, rubbing the red marks on my arms from where the canvas creased against my skin. My butterfly knives had a fabric sleeve on them while they were concealed but it was still uncomfortable, which is why most people don't wear armguards all the time. But when you're an assassin in training you learn to be uncomfortable.

I rubbed at the red marks in my arms, smoothing what's called frost salve on it. My arms felt extremely cold but the ache had diminished and the red marks in my skin faded greatly. Frost salve can be used really for bug bites, minor sores, rashes and muscle aches but nothing severe. I put my arms underneath the stream of water, warming them up. I quickly dried my hair in the shower stall and brushed my teeth as well. While I was in the bathroom I was vulnerable, I needed to stay in the shower for as long as possible.

I quickly dried off and put on stretchy spandex yoga pants that went down to mid thigh along with a black sports bra and a dark, rich violet tank top along with a black t shirt to go over. I slipped on my arm guards once more, stepping out of the shower. Evangeline was there, brushing her teeth wearing a pair of sweatpants, sneakers and a t shirt.

"You really don't feel safe anywhere, do you?" she asked.

"I feel about as safe as you do with 3 sets of throwing knives, one in the waistband of your underwear, one strapped to your ankle and one attached to your bra strap."

She opened her mouth to speak.

"Oh yeah, you also have a small combat knife strapped around your waist, on your left side for easy accessibility because you're right hand is dominant." She closed her mouth promptly.

She stepped close to me, and suddenly her combat knife was out and on the small of my back where the others wouldn't see.

"Listen, Red," she spat, "You might think you're so smart and yeah, I'll admit it, you're not an idiot. But if you've heard anything you know that I'm a trained assassin and I will not hesitate to kill you if you get in my way. Are we understood?" I was somewhat afraid of her, but I tried to remain calm. She wouldn't kill me here, she likes to play with her prey.

"My name is Aria." I said before walking away, praying I was right. and I was. I was shaking slightly so I bent backwards into a backbend so I was looking straight at her.

"Goodnight." I stuck my tongue out at her and laughed before I got into bed, lithely leaping from the bottom bunk to the top.

2 hours later, Evangeline was snoring and I was still awake. I took off my jokes and jumped from the top bunk, bending my knees as I landed, making no more noise than a soft thump on the ground. Eva didn't even stir.

I crept out of the bunker, the warm humid air enveloped my skin and I slid my shoes back on. I knew where the track was and I knew I needed to run.

I stretched out first, doing a few backbends as well as cartwheels before I ran around the track. I flipped a couple of times as I went, sometimes doing front and back handsprings, other times doing more complicated combinations. I'd learned some basic tumbling as I went through the system, mostly from street dancers performing for money. I let my hair down. Literally, I took my hair down from my ponytail and let it fly out from behind me as I ran, even taking off my armguards for a few minutes before deciding it was a bad idea.

When I finally sat down to rest, I was sweaty and out of breath. I was sitting on the inner circle of grass, looking at the outer, when I spotted a boy in the moonlight. I jogged over to him.

"Are you following me?" I asked him, forgetting my center for once, my face not perfectly arranged into an emotionless mask.

"No," he said. I wasn't comfortable, I wasn't sure what to say.

"Why are you out here?" I finally asked.

"Not tired, you?" Came his immediate response.

"The same, I guess. That and my bunk is right above Evangeline Lakewood's. Not exactly a great place to sleep." He stood up as I said that and took a step back, obviously surprised that I was a shark.

"What's that?" I pointed to a book he had in his hands.

"A book." he said
"Oh. Well, yeah it is." I shifted uncomfortably, wrapping my arms around myself. He simply turned and walked away.

I watched his receding figure before checking the time on one of the digital information boards around campus. It was after midnight and I knew if I didn't go to sleep I would be exhausted the next day. But I couldn't stop thinking about the encounter as I lay above Evangeline's sleeping figure. He was the only person who made me nervous and that, if anything, would be the end of me.

Spoiler! :
@TheFantasy14
And the heart is hard to translate
It has a language of its own
It talks in tongues and quiet sighs,
And prayers and proclamations

-Florence + The Machine (All This and Heaven Too)








I was promis'd on a time, To have a reason for my rhyme: From that time unto this season, I receiv'd nor rhyme nor reason.
— Edmund Spenser