Addermire Institute (Semi-Advanced) discussion

Rene was waited for someone. He wouldnt say who but it was Tori. It had been about a week or two since the incident on the rooftops and he was worried and a little upset. She was avoiding him completely. He had texted her once or twice, nothing. When he did see her she somehow found a way to duck away from him but not today. The boy wanted to know why Tori was avoiding him, and dammit, he was going to find out. So there he was, standing outside the door to one of her classes as they began exiting the room. His blue eyes flickered around, trying to find the dryads familar form.

When she saw him in the hallways, Tori literally froze and audibly gasped, she had been so good about leaving class early to slip out, and making sure not to follow her regular schedule, yet the one day where she had thought things would be okay, he had actually showed up to class. Quickly she hid behind another student's changling form begging that her sun like curls wouldn't be visible from where he was standing. Tori couldn't be around Rene anymore without actually wanting to phsyically touch him. Yet she lingered a bit too long before his blue eyes clicked together with her hazels, and she knew that they'd seen each other.

"T.." He made a simple sound and began to walk over to where he had seen her but she duck away and Rene let out an audible sigh before calling out again. "Tori!" He found her and he was frowning, concern all over his face for his friend. Where have you been? I need to talk to you about something. Rene didnt look upset, just worried and maybe a bit more restless than usual. He had in reailty been up all night, wondering what he had done wrong that she didnt want to speak woth him or even see him. His glasses poorly hid some bag, and today he wore a ruffled up sweater amd some cargo shorts, the same sneakers on his feet that he always wore.

Tori would be able to recongnize that voice from miles away, even in a swarming cloud like this one. As she looked over at Rene she couldn't but to notice what poor state he was in, hell anyone with eyes would be able to tell. Of course, that ruled out about 1/15 of the entire student body. Rene, Rene! she had never seen him so disheveled before, yet he looked worse than that. Rene you look like shit! Are you okay? Though her concern was immediately was directed back onto herself. Look, Rene we can't talk I have to get to the history of.. creations and stuff. She knew that was a bad lie, but if she taljed to Rene she knew what would happen.

I am fine. Just a little tired, didnt sleep last night, but am okay. He hadnt been sleeping very well for awhile, but he was usually good at hiding it. Recently, with whatever this strange falling out was with his friend, he found it harder and harder to keep himself in check. Creations and Stuff is not a class, Tori. Why wont you talk to me? Thank god that the conversation was silent, or peolpe might be watching and circling. Though, Rene was trying his best to stay a little perky, he was just having trouble understanding things that were part of his normal life and having your best friend avoid you completely wasnt normal.

The feeling that she had something to do with his inability to sleep made a small seed of self-hatred sow into her being. "Because- !" She exclaimed before realising she had said that out loud. Because I don't even know what I'd say to you Rene! I just need some time to think. she frantically signed back, Tori extremely guilty, and his bad acting wasn't helping anyone. Look, if we really have to talk can we go somewhere else? She had never seen Rene like this, whenever he was this tired he was always extremely happy, usually because of his research that he'd done. Yet, he looked compeltely drained of energy.

Did I do something? Because.. Rene stopped what he was saying halfway and set his arms doen and nodded, and headed off a little further down the way, hoping she was following. He would make his way to a small room, no more than a desk and a chair, some office proably and opened it, making sure no one was around and stepped inisde. When or if she came in with him, the first thing Rene dis was crush her into a hug, needing that comfort again that he was missing from her. "I..am sorry I made you hide. I am bad person.." Then he woukd let go and slump a little, wanting to sign or speak but not knowing what to say.

Seeing as he wouldn't even hear her or see her if she decided to turn and leave, she serious contemplated it for a second. He's trusting you Tori. Are you really going to do this to him? She chided herself before quickly catching up inbetween the space she had created. As he hugged her, she smiled almost laughing at how cold he seemed, yet when he tore away Tori felt that yearning sickness inside of her. That wasn't supposed to be there. "Rene stop. Stop apologizing. You didn't do anything wrong. Everytime someone else is angry with you it isn't always your fault. So stop." Tori was unnervingly serious about this, unlike her aloof personality.

But then why would they be angry at me? Why are you angry at me? Dint say you arent because if you wernt you would have at least responded to me texting you. Rene had crossed his arms after that and stared at her, still upset and hurt but trying to look like he was mad. All tori would have to do is call him on it and that facade would melt away pretty quickly. He was actually happy to see her again, but had to remain looking mad at her, so he furrowed his brow and frowned, taking a seat on the table of who evers office this was. You could of at least told me you needed to be by yourself but instead you blow me off. I felt really bad, I thought I did something to you...

All of this was a whole new world for her, she had never even begin to fathom Rene being angry. Yet, him being angry at her? That was one of her biggest deepeat fears. She couldn't do this anymore, Tori was trying to pretend everything was alright and she was already miserably failing. "I love you." She hated the words coming out of her mouth with a passion. They were promises, promises that bound her to a certain emotion for an uncertain ammount of time. That is what's wrong. I love you okay? I thought staying away from you would fix that but it didn't and I don't know how to feel. I hate falling in love with people but here I am okay?

That was not what Rene expected, at all.

He thought she just didnt want to be his friend, that he could of least comprehended, but love? That blew him away. Any anger that was there was gone completely and he sat there, speachless, before his hands slowly, extrememly, painfully slowly, signed out words. you...love..me? His heart was beating like a drumer on speed, it felt like it was going to exploded. This girl, Tori, the dryad he has had a crush on since year one, the girl he spent handfuls of nights dreaming of a situation like this, was acruwlly admitting she loved him. It couldnt be true. This was a dream, it had to be. He just watched her, his blue eyes watching her through glasses, almost a sense of relief but defiently joy began to creep along his face but not yet, he was still just, astonished someone, amyine could love him.

Now it was Tori's turn to become as red as Rene had on the rooftops. The day she had realised it. Please don't make me repeat it. she begged wishing she could hide behind the door of her dorm room. She didn't know how he was reacting, Rene was silent, he wasn't angry or happy as far as she could tell. Just silent. That was terrifying. Rene? I'm going to leave. This was a mistake. Tori felt tears begin to well up as she reached for the door.

"No." Rene called out when she turned her back. What he was about to do was really dumb and would kick himself later for it but he got up and nearly ran to her, turning her around gentle, and not trying to think about how stupid this plan was, gave her a kiss right on the lips. It was quick and soft and much like a peck, but he did it. It was the first kiss he had given anyone, and his checks were already brightening up in the red color. "I love you too, Tori." He struggled to get it out, and when he did, he felt better and now horrified. He didnt know what she was gonna do next so he took a step back, he was rubbing his arm nervously amd looking veey social awkward about this whole thing. The kiss felt so right to him that he was still comprehending what he did.

Tori herself was considered to be experienced, though she lost all of her wits when she felt Rene's lips touch her own. It was perfect. They were so soft and it calmed her down immediately, making her go insane and her cheeks to emmit a burgundy hue. She felt so vulnurable that it was almost pleasant, yet the feel of vulnerablity left her without and defense. Yet Rene was the only person she allowed herself to do that around. To let go of the mask and release all of the toxic energy that surrounded her. This time she wouldn't allow it to be over so easily. Grabbing his waist, Tori pressed a kiss onto his lips having had enough of being teased.

Rene thought that would be all of the kissing done for today. He thought she would run off after what he just did, never to speak to him ever. What he did not expect was to be pulled into the most mind melting experince he has had up to date. Her kiss felt so..raw, powerful even. Like she held nothing back. He tried to lean more into it, but it was nothing compared to her. His arms at first were up in surprise of Tori pulling him into her grasp, but now were slowly draping around her neck and when he finally pulled away from what felt like an enternity and a half, a small smile was on his face. He looked dazed, but he was so overwhelmed with joy it was hard to contain. "...whoa.." though was all that escsped his lips, not wanting this moment to end.

Tori had no qulams about him being slightly shorter, as long as the two loved each other. As his arms encircled her neck, she rested her nose on his as they kissed, Tori couldn't help but feel satisfied with how things were turning out. As she pulled away she was almost positive that birds were singing. So, how long did you know? she asked reluctantly pulling her hands away from his waist to sign it. How long had he loved her back? Did he just now realise it? Or did he only say it back because she said it first? As he let out the little wow in response, Tori blushed surprised that the scholar of a lifetime had no other words in his vocabulary other that 'wow'.

There was a small pause, as he didnt know quite how to put into words what he was trying to say. Then his hands began moving on their own. Since the very first day I met you. Rene said after gaining his composure back and allowing himself to pull back as well, needing to sign so his voice didnt ruin the wonderful moment. You were just gorgeous and very sweet to everyone. I never though I would even befriend you, let alone all... he then motioned to her and gave a small grin again. It was tiny and cute and gave him the quiet bookish kid look down to a tee. I can read lips if you want to speak... what Rene didnt sign he muttered under his breath. "..it give me a reason to look at you longer..." and didnt even realize he muttered it. This was all so new to him and he felt wonderfully awkward standing in front of Tori, her hair wonderfully done and her eyes just looking at him made him feel giddy.

A very literal love at first site happened to him, and Tori didn't know how to respond to that. He was in love with her yet he continued to be just her friend for the past four years. She couldn't even begin to immagine how much pain he went through when she would tell him about her crushes and how she never planned on loving anyone. No, Rene I swear this is perfect. Though what came out of his mouth only made her more flustered than before. Rene could we go somewhere to talk, where it also isn't a closet? she signed her hands shaking, Tori didn't know the first thing about love when it came to it. Especially romantic, platonic? Of course, she could handle platonic, but romantic was a whole 'nother world.

Well I think this is like a doctor's office, but yeah we can. Maybe my dorm? Maybe not.. Rene how bad that sounded, wanting to take Tori back to his dorm so he recanted and couldnt think of any where else to go. Though his smile grew just the slightest bit bigger when she got even more flustered towards him. She looked about as awkward as he felt. He had zero idea how to be in a relationship, but he had seen enough television to at least have an idea of how to do it. Unless you have a better place. I dont really know much places in the school. Rene admitted as he slowly took a seat back onto the desk table.

should they actually go to Rene's dorm?

((If you want. Or they could do soemthing else, i dont know what though.))

I don't have any ideas so his dorm it is!

((Wonderful. We will think of something. I am sure of it))

Her embarrassed state cotinuously became worse from her trying to keep quiet so she didn't get Rene in trouble for being in here, so when he suggested going to his dorm room so easily, she turned into the color of a brick wall, which she didn't even know was possible. I think your dorm room is fine. Plus, I think that all the classrooms are taken, so don't worry. Tori of course had been to his dorm room before, after all they were best friends they spent time with each other, yet now it seemed so strange to even think about sitting in the same bed with him. Tori honestly didn't know how this would turn out, she hadn't ever confessed to someone before, yet the more she thought about it the more impossible it seemed to be. Though looking at Rene's smile ahe knee that she had to break her habits and break the fast.

Alright. Come on then. It aint that far. Rene chuckled a lottle watching her face slowly turn a darker and darker red from what he guess was just embarresment. His flushedness had faded a while ago but he still was a nervous wreck, unsure whether anything he was saying was a good thing or a bad thing. It was hard to tell with Tori, mainly because his brain would frazzled up anytime she even smiled. So he began to walk out the office towards his dorm. He didnt have a roomate but that didnt really matter to him, it allowed him to store more things in a personal space. He looked back one more time, a big grin on his face then he headed off, a pep in his step.

((Posted in his dorm))

Abner had sat down next to one of the large windows against the large pillar, quietly staring out of the window. When he wasn't with his pack, he was often seen alone. Well, even among his pack he was still seen alone. Which was odd. He seemed like someone who'd be more of a lone wolf than someone who'd be part of a pack. But, the pack soothed him. He may not show it, but he enjoyed the thought of having a family again. Someone to watch his back. Not like the family he once had, where he had to hide his true self. No. He finally had a family that allowed him to go where he wanted, and be who he wanted to be. Though, he wasn't saying he was close to them or trusted them. He didn't trust anyone. He wasn't close to anyone. He enjoyed the solitude. He enjoyed the darkness. He enjoyed being.. Alone. Though, he didn't enjoy being lonely. He never complained about it, however. It was what it was. Life threw whatever it had at people, and either they'd crash and fall, or grow stronger than before and move on. Life was funny that way.

Abner had let a small sigh escape his lips before shifting his gaze downwards to look at the black and white checkered floor. It probably wasn't the most sanitary place to sit. But what would he know? He was a werewolf. They were often always getting down and dirty, one way or another. He enjoyed it here. He could listen to people walk by and chat among each other, while he could look out at the beautiful scenery outside the window. It was.. Calming, to say the least.

Charlotte was absolutely not going to class. Not with all those Bad Vibes going around. She felt the paranoia intensely, as if it was a persistant itch that she could never quite get rid of. Being around all the other kids simply made it worse. She had spoken to Oliver about it right after the tremor, of course, and according to his sources something big was coming. "Something big" mostly meant something that the void kids were going to take the brunt of. She wasn't going to spend time in some stupid classroom when it was possible that she would have to do some big fight against evil or whatever the fuck. Jesus Christ, she hoped that "something big" was, like, a big ass moth or something.

As she walked down the halls, some kid by the windows caught her eye. He was pretty big, actually, so it less caught her eye, more grabbed it by the neck and forced it to look over. Huh. It was one of the were-kids, wasn't it? This one hadnt come by her room before, which was definitely weird. Most of them either came for something strong or were dragged there by Antoni. Everyone in the pack definitely viewed her in a different light. Antoni was the closest thing to a friend she had. He stopped by her dorm a lot, even going so far as to stay there for a few nights when him and his roomie were having a fight. She didn't talk to Elio nearly as much, although from what she gathered he was absolutely infatuated with Antoni. She couldnt see why. Beretta stopped by once. He really was a sweetie. Mr. Hale seemed to be very close to yelling at her at all times, but who could blame him? She had a habit of sneaking into the gym to smoke. Why? For the hell of it, that's why! She decided to get to know the last member of the pack. It was always good to have people know your face. Charlotte walked over to him with a bright smile. "Somethin' interesting out there?"

Abner had kept lost in thought, as he always did, so naturally, the girl hadn't caught his attention like he had caught hers. That is, until she had spoken to him. He barely noticed anyone passing by. He usually only listened to the few he wanted to listen to. But, their words were usually never directed at him. Usually at each other, or sometimes, on rare occasions, to themselves. So, it was natural that her voice had lightly startled him. Though, he did not jump. He just tensed a little bit.

Abner's brown gaze had looked up at the girl. She looked unfamiliar, as did just about everyone else in this school. She did not smell to be part of the pack, which was odd to Abner. Of course, not everyone in the school was werewolf, but usually no one approached him that wasn't. And if they did, it wasn't usually to strike a conversation. "..Are you talking to me?" He spoke lowly with a sort of bland voice. It was a question, and yet it held no curiosity in it. And what a stupid question it was. He was the only one by the window. The girl had approached him. Who else would she be talking to? However, he wanted to be sure. You never know. She could of been talking to the imaginary voices in her head. Abner had heard of few people who often did that. He was warned to stray from them. But, he never had an issue with that, as he often strayed away from just about everyone.

He was startled by her arrival, that was for certain. Him, along with most of the other wolves given the circumstances, wore skittishness like a second coat. She'd just have to break him out of that nervous mood with unrelenting smiles. That's how she got most people to like her, at least. There were many different kinds of people in this school, some nicer than others. For the most part she was able to get the nice ones to adore her and the mean ones to tolerate her. This was all using a carefully constructed persona, of course. The real her was someone no one wanted to see.

"Of course! Who else is around?" Her words weren't mean in the slightest, simply cheerful. She enjoyed talking to the other students, if she didn't why would she be at a school this large? She'd simply homeschool herself from whatever foster home she was placed into until she was old enough to dip. "May I sit?" Charlotte sat down before he even got to answer, throwing her pink hair into a ponytail. "I'm Charlotte, nice to meet you!"

Abner had eyed her lightly. She was.. Cheerful. Most at this school wasn't. He wasn't sure why anyone at this school would be so cheerful. Before he could tell her no, it was to his surprise that she had sat down in front of him. He instinctively pulls his legs to his chest, mumbling,"..Good to know." Did he seem that approachable? Sure, it was a free campus. Well, mostly free. So people could sit where ever they liked, and Abner could have no say in it.

Did Abner seem approachable? Maybe he was just too relaxed looking at the flowers outside the window. He should of known to keep his guard up. But, he supposed it was too late now. Would it be polite to introduce himself back? Abner was never one to be proper or polite. It had been so long, Abner wasn't even sure if he was able to act in such a manner any more. Nor did he care much. He had silently looked back out the window. It took him a few minutes before he mumbled,"..Abner." It sounded forced, or restrained. He wasn't good at conversation. Maybe the conversation wouldn't last long. Perhaps she'd grow tired of him within a few minutes. That seemed likely.

Oh, believe me, Charlotte was absolutely intrigued by him. Not in the "oh im going to kill you and study your bones" way that some of the others had, it was far more respectful than that. His lack of conversation skills and general introverted disposition made her want to know more about him even more. Sure, she'd give nothing in return, but that was just part of the shtick. Get someone comfortable, get them to open up, and then keep up the general air of mysteriousness that she lived in. She was the kinda gal youd talk to once and never see again, leaving you to wonder if she had been real.

She sat there and gave him time to respond. After all, she wasnt in any hurry. Charlotte had..... 92 minutes 36 seconds and counting till her next class. Abner was far more interesting than literally anything in her dorm. A few minutes of silence meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. "Hello, Abner! You're a member of Mr. Hale's pack, right?" He sure was quiet compared to the others. Antoni was louder than a freight train, and Elio definitely wasnt much better. It was a welcome surprise; she wasnt sure if she could handle another ball of energy bouncing around. Her nearly flawless facade wouldnt be able to take that much.

Abner had let out a small, slightly irritated sigh. It was always easy to irritate or annoy him. He supposed this girl wanted a conversation. Why was that? He wasn't interesting. They didn't know each other. In fact, he never even noticed this girl until now. He was sure it was probably the same for the girl as well. Either that, or Abner just wasn't that observant of his surroundings.

What made people initiate conversations? Or 'become friends'? He never saw the appeal. Or more like, he never knew how, so he gave up on it when he was young. It wasn't something he was going to pick up so easily. He had once again stayed silent, staring out the window. Surely, if she knew that he was in the pack, she must hang around them. He doubted Mr.Hale would talk about him at all. Nor anyone else in the pack. No. She had to be around the pack often to see Abner hanging around them. Or, perhaps she could somehow sense what he was. He wasn't sure. But, if that were the case, then it would of been a big guess to guess he was part of the pack.

Maybe if he kept quiet, she'd go away. Or perhaps, if he responded, she'd get whatever satisfaction she was looking for, enough to leave. Abner wasn't sure. After a few more moments of silence, Abner sighed once more,"..I am." He responds vaguely, keeping his gaze out the window.

"Nice! I mean, it's good that you guys stick together, especially with what's been goin on." Of course there had been rumors going around about the nature of the tremors. Whispers of an upcoming war were common in the halls when the teachers weren't around to listen. No one dared bring it up in front of the staff, of course. They'd just get scolded for spreading around lies. Well, what they claimed were lies. Charlotte knew that there was some truth to them, but the funny thing about forced optimism is it pushes things like that out of your head. There was no use getting worked up over a war, so her voice was kept light and airy. She said the words with a roll of her eyes, making it so it seemed she either didn't believe any of the rumors or couldn't find it in her to care.

She quickly changed the subject, of course. You cant stay on an uncomfortable subject for long before people got, well, uncomfortable. Suddenly, Charlotte's eyes lit up. "Okay fam, hear me out. Can I show you a magic trick? Cause I bet I can guess your house using it." She held an almost child like grin at her own idea of doing some slight of hand. She did it for kids during the summer and they all seemed to love it, so why wouldn't abner be interested?

Abner eyes her. It's true, himself, along with the others, have seemed a little.. On edge. Though, Abner was always on edge, so he thought nothing of it. But.. The fact the others were acting up as well.. He thought that was odd for sure. He had also heard these rumors as well, he just stayed to himself, rather than talking to anyone about it. Rumors always seemed to be another version of a truth. But that's the thing. Usually, rumors weren't entirely based on truth either. So, Abner never really took action about it. Not that he could, anyhow.

Abner felt his eyebrow raise at the girl's enthusiasm. It was much like a child's. Though, he had to admit, he was quite curious about whether she could guess it or not. After all, she knew nothing of him. So, if she could guess it, that'd be.. Interesting. He softly sighs, turning to face more towards her,"..Alright, I'll bite." He responds, waiting expectantly to see the trick.

She pulled a deck of tarot cards out of her leather jacket pocket, nearly bouncing where she sat. Pulling them out of their case, she began to shuffle. This was the easy part. She'd been shuffling decks for poker games since she was 5, and she'd learned some tricks on how to make it pretty. 90% of this was for show, she was gonna use magic anyway, obviously. Setting the deck on the ground in front of her, she spread it all out in one swift movement. Then, dancing her fingers over the cards, she spent a single moment just staring Abner down. The void kids knew things, things that weren't particularly noticeable.

Then, she stopped. She flipped over the card. On the front of it was a delicate purple flower reaching up towards a giant and loving sun. With a triumphant smile, she pushed the card over to him. "Saffron!" It was terribly ironic, someone using real magic to make it seem like it was a slight of hand trick. Not that she couldn't do those too, of course, but real magic was so much more fun. Unpredictable. "Am i right??"

Abner blinks lightly as he stared down at it. Of course, this shouldn't of surprised him. This school was filled with magic users, and all different kinds of creatures. So, to do a simple trick like that shouldn't of surprised him. But he had to admit, it did a little. Though, he did well to hide it. He glanced up,"..It did." He lightly tilts his head,"Are you a witch? Or perhaps one of the Void house?" He questions. His gaze was suspicious, though still slightly annoyed, still holding some mystery to it. He refused to allow her to know what it was he was thinking. He hid his emotions well.

He had heard about the void factor. There were few, but he had heard from passer byers that void's were the most unpredictable. They knew things. So, either she was a witch, or part of the void house. Perhaps both. That'd be more likely.

"So I was." She still had on that triumphant smile, as if she didnt notice his skepticism in the slightest. She did, of course, there was very little that she didn't see. "And I'm afraid it isn't real magic, buddy. Haven't you heard what they say? It's all fizzled out." She snapped, creating sparks and thr sound of pouring water on a fire. "Sadly, this is all I can do." Charlotte ignored the other question completely. Him knowing that she used magic would completely ruin the trick for her. She used what the people said to her advantage, even though she never did anything productive with it. According to the student body she was the broken sorcerer who could mix up a fine drink. Alchemy was what she was open about, not the natural born shit. She'd much rather be known for what she figured out than what she was "blessed with".

She turned her attention back to the cards, flipping the rest of them over in another sweep. Each and every card except for one was a rendition of number 18. The moon. The card had an odd style to it, especially compared to the bright colors of the saffron card. It was all dark colors, brown against grey against black. Each one was a tiny bit different, the only thing they all had in common being the black rolling hills and the large full moon. Most had wolves of varying amounts and colors, although a few had what appeared to be the silhouette of a man on it. He was sitting cross legged with deep red gashes over his back like scratch marks. She eyed him curiously as she picked up the card in the direct middle: the high priestess. "The moon represents projecting fear and anxiety onto your surroundings whether or not it's justified. Your past was rough, and you bring it into the future. Use your surroundings to dive deep into your subconscious and let yourself heal. Now this-" she flicked the high priestess, "- is much more interesting. I think you know what it might mean."

Abner stares at her with a hardened glare. If she wasn't a witch, she at least had to be part of the void house. Though, he decided not to press the matter. He didn't really care, anyway. All this conversating, it was exhausting. Was she still not satisfied? Was every void house member out to know just about everything about everyone? That wasn't always good. Some things were meant to stay in the past. Some things were supposed to be kept a mystery, especially to strangers. To know everything, what fun was that?

Abner felt himself tense up at her next predictions. ..Did she get them from looking at Abner? Or was she just simply guessing? Either way, Abner hated how she could read him like a book. ..No one else was capable of that. He had eyed her over, still seeming cautious. "..I am no mind reader. I obviously do not know what it is your card means. Are you going to give me a hint? Or tell me?" He questions, lightly raising his brow.

Charlotte's wide smile quickly faded to a small pout. Of course she knew what it meant, but she was quickly loosing what little trust there was in the first place. She would lose him (more importantly: the only person who was skipping class alone) and then what would she do? Probably go back on her dorm and work on some random concoction that just came to mind. That wasnt nearly as good as this. "Damnit, I was hoping you didn't say that. For the most part they're vague enough that people just.... Fill in the blanks for me? It's pretty much a guessing game on my end."

She flicked the card, and it was a strength card where the lion had been swapped with a dire wolf. She flicked it again, and it was justice. Again, and it was the chariot. This time it was real slight of hand, of course. To do magic for this part was too suspicious. "I gotta whole bunch of these in my sleeve, dude. Wait, here lemme just-" she shook out her left arm, and the entirety of the major arcana came tumbling out onto the ground. "The moon is always a solid choice with wolves, for more reasons than one. I mean, there's obviously the whole full moon thing. Not to mention half of yall are battling some fuckin demon or another; you guys are all in your head from what I've seen."

Abner blinks, staring at her in shock. He lightly tilts his head,"Oh.. So you're imperfect, just like the rest of us.." He replies sarcastically, a small smirk poking at the corner of his lips. That indeed was rare for him. Perhaps he didn't notice it was there. He looks back at the cards,"..It's a nice trick, that's for sure. You're pretty good at guessing." Abner glances up,"You couldn't of been invited to this school simply because of your card tricks, right? What are you, truly?" He asks. Sure, he could probably sniff the air a few times and figure it out, but what was the fun in that?

..Were all the werewolves 'stuck in their head'? Were they all fighting demons? From what he's seen, at least in the gym, they were all little happy, idiotic fools who found it fun to wrestle and not obey the rules. Not that it mattered. Abner hated following anyone's orders as well. But.. He never saw them struggling with anything. Well, except as of late. But now, he figured it was due to these 'tremors' that were even seeming to affect himself.

The second Charlotte saw the smirk felt as if she had won a 100 year war. He didn't seem like the kinda guy to smile for anything ever, and the fact that she had gotten even the smallest of smirks out of him was a success. "So you can be amused!" she exclaimed, grinning widely. She began to pick up the cards. The process was much more precise than anyone thought her to be able to do. She was gentle with them, making sure to put them in a very specific order without accidentally creasing any of the corners. If she was to put on a show, the cards needed to be as pretty as she did.

That wasn't the only odd thing, though. Charlotte fell into an almost uncomfortable silence, leaving the question hanging in the air. She made sure all the cards were perfect before placing them back into their container and slipping it in her pocket. She didn't quite know how to respond to the question. It wasnt that she was never asked it, more that each time it blindsided her. She truly had to think about her answer. After a handful of moments, she spoke. "Well, uh, it's a bit of an uncomfortable subject for me, but I guess with me reading you like that you deserve somethin. It's safer for me here than anywhere else. That's all I'm gonna say about it."

Abner had blinked, immediately forcing his smirk to vanish as he eyes her. "..I didn't look amused before?" He questions, lightly raising his eyebrow. Facial expressions. That's what people looked for when it came to amusement? Abner thought he was rather relaxed and amused in the first place. Did it not look like it? No matter. He smirked. She saw it. There was no denying it. He didn't mind much about it, to be honest. He was capable of showing facial expressions. Although, it was indeed rare.

Abner had let the silence pass, not seeming to mind it. He was always the one who could sit in comfortable silence with just about anyone. But, that was because he was naturally a silent guy. He leans back against the pillar more, staring back at her as she answered,"..I think it's like that for all of us." He looks back out the window,"But you do not have to tell me. We do not know each other well, after all. I was just curious." He admits quietly. Curiosity. He rarely felt, or showed, that side as well. Though, that was because he never really wanted to. Few things existed in this world, or any world, that tugged at his strings and made him interested in what exactly it was, or what made someone think the way they did.

((Yo?))

Jason walks calmly down the halls, staring down and softly messing with a ring on his finger. He didn't wear jewelry normally, but he thought that this ring, on his ring finger. He was engaged, finally. As of a few weeks ago, but still, Jason couldn't get over it. Though, something else was on his mind. War was coming. That much was evident. He was not sure where it would lead. If he would die, or if Oliver would die. Or if anyone else among the school would die. ..Well, so many have died already, due to the Defacto Group. He just hoped they could get a handle on things before they got out of hand.

Jason had stopped, quietly looking out the window. ..Normally, if he wasn't keeping an eye on Oliver, he'd be out in his Herbology class, checking on his plants. But.. Oddly enough, he didn't feel like going and keeping his plants company. ..Perhaps it was because he had other things on his mind. He was sure he'd be fine again by tomorrow. He let out a small sigh, looking around at all the passing students.

.

Watching several bodies of students pass in the corridor, the man would soon come out his class room as well, adjusting his long hair and making sure it did not appear too messy. His gaze scanned around as a low sigh had left his lips. It had been his last class in session for the day and he was ready to head on back home to relax. Slipping his back around his shoulder, he began to head out, although eyes caught on jason not that far away from himself. Instantly, he had gone to shuffle towards him quietly in hopes of sneaking up behind him. When he was rather sure his attention was elsewhere, he slowly adjusted his mechanical arm to hover over his shoulder, the sharp claw like ends poking at his chest in a sort of playful manner, hoping the sight would freak him out or at least catch him off guard again.

Jason had blinked, lightly jumping. Same move every time. And still, every time, it always caught Jason off guard. ..Was it time for Apostle to come out of class? Well, considering Apostle was standing right behind him, he guessed that answered his question. He relaxes, smiling lightly,"Every time, you always get me. I'll be prepared for you, some day, so enjoy these little scare attacks while you can." He softly teases. He leans back against the wall,"How was your class today, hmm? Any children give you trouble this time?" He asks, lightly tilting his head.

Jason had known Apostle for quite some time. Apostle was probably the only guy here who had known Jason before he had died. Of course, Jason didn't remember that life, but ever since Apostle came here, and talked to him like a close friend would, Jason felt close to him, like he had known him for quite some time. Which, technically, he has. But again, he didn't know that. Either way, Jason enjoyed his little talks with Apostle. This man never ceased to amaze him.

.

Apostle had laugh almost with a sweet ring to his voice as he had jumped, taking a step back and crossing his mechanical arms with a sly grin, "I will. I bask in it every time, dont i? Then again, you are just a stoner- i mean, a 'natural cure' mentor. I shouldn't expect much." He has walked over to lean against the wall right next to him, looking around to make sure none of the teachers were watching the two before pulling out a cigar out of his coat, having just to click his sharpened fingertips to light the end and allowed it to rest on his lip with a small huff, "Of course there was. This school is full of magical delinquents after all. But its nothing i cant handle. It could be way way worse you know?"

He thought for a moment before staring over at jason from the corner of his eye and offered the cigar to him, "Want some? Its rude not to offer at least. And it does calm one down after a long days work." His dull eyes trailed back to the floor in mild thought, watching as a few students passed.

After a bit of silence, he complained, "I have to go home soon and grade all of the student projects. I should really make a machine or assistant or something that can do the grading for us. Then we could relax together more" Apostle let out a small almost mischievous grin before asking, "What's new with you though? Its rare to see you outside of class."

Jason softly raises his hand to refuse the cigar, staring off into space. It was odd. He never smoked or drank as much as he used to. He used to be addicted to those things. Addicted to the thought that they'd heal his pain. But.. He hasn't felt the need to drink or smoke lately. He's been clean for almost a year now. Perhaps more. It had been long enough for Jason to forget the taste of the sweet liquor, and the stinging of the cigar's smoke running down his lungs. ..Now that he thought about it, he hasn't smoked or drank since he came face to face with Oliver for the first time.

He had blinked lightly at his question, laughing nervously and softly rubs the back of his head. Perhaps it'd be too weird to tell Apostle that he was supposed to be watching someone. A child, no less. He had been so caught up grading papers, that he lost sight of Oliver in the process. Yes. Perhaps that wasn't the best to talk about right now. He softly chuckles,"You'll get used to the grading of papers. It takes some time to finish them, but you'll find ways to finish them quicker with the more practice you get." He then glances back out the window,"I was actually just grading said papers. I thought I could use a break and decided to venture out. See if I could find you to see how you've been doing."