Now I'm the king of the swingers, oh, the jungle VIP

[aibolition]

Who: "Nobody" and you?
When: August
Where: Lumiere floor three, the roof,
What: Exploring lumiere, hunting. It's the little things.
Warnings: None but that he's a horrible jerk
Note: I like prose but I'll match for action if it's easier for you!

a) - Lumiere, Floor three

It might actually be the first school between he and Ichigo that didn't greet "them" with a group of rowdy gang-kids already looking to fight. It's disappointing. He'd been really looking forward to getting to go through that for himself. Guess the students here really were civilized or something as the towering stone walls and fancy gates would imply. Boring.

He finds Lumiere dorm easily enough, moving up to the third floor. There's a distinct feeling that he doesn't belong here but he gets that everywhere. He's positive this is the right place. Yup. 303. This is the one. He's bracing for a roommate but finds none. It's an empty room, him, and a bed. A real actual bed.

A sharp laugh bursts free. He runs, jumps, and falls back on the bed. Freedom was great. Freedom and a room all to himself? Free food and a promise for all out war in the future? Now he was really living.

And there's a whole common room to explore. A karaoke machine sits there-- he's got no intention of singing but with a little messing around he's sure he can get it to play music. A fridge stands by unguarded. Someone's left their textbooks sprawled on a table, a history of magical artifacts in the place of mathematics. He wonders for the billionth time if this isn't a fever dream inflicted on him by way of Ichigo having whacked his head one time too many.

In no time at all, he's sprawled out with his legs hanging over the arms of a chair, a book in one hand and someone's lunch in his mouth. Generic punk rock blasts from the karaoke machine, with or without vocals.

b) - Lumiere roof

After several minutes back and forth in his own head, asking himself why, he decides that he doesn't have to explain himself to anyone. Including himself.

The sky is bright overhead, light patch marks of clouds cutting through the blazing sun. It's familiar. It's a familiarity that hasn't been in his reach for over a year, maybe two. He's got no intention of moving.

For anyone coming up, they'll find a boy white as snow laying on the hard stone rooftop. He'd almost appear to be sleeping but for the way his brows furrow.

c) Hunting - Soliel

Most animals hunt at night. A simple fact of nature. Daemons lingered in the dark too. Easy cover, easy way to scare whatever prey was being hunted, or maybe it offered some kind of power. He doesn't know. It doesn't offer him quite the same kind of cover for the obvious physical reasons but he never cared about stealth anyway.

He pulls his mask down over his face and breathes easier, even as the hole in his chest opens up. There's been enough ghosts as of late that he's sure it will draw something out. He scales the low buildings first and moves from there, sword in hand, hopping across the gaps in rooftops as he scans the town for his "own" kind. They don't linge4 around here like they do back home. Too many other powerful beings hanging around he'd guess. What a pain. But there was always at least one with the nerve to hunt him.

It's a little one, trying to be stealthy as it swoops in. He grins wide and spins for it, grinning wide behind the mask. It gives an undignified shriek as he takes it by the talons and swings up onto its back. It dives on instinct and he laughs, raising his sword high and bringing it down to pierce through just as the ground gets close enough. He lands with a roll as the monsters dissolves to nothing.

"Haha, that's more like it! Come on!" He shouts skyward... in the middle of the town.

Comments

C

[lithoneysuckle]

...What the hell are you doing? Don't you know people are trying to sleep?

C

[aibolition]

[He looks back down, blinking glowing eyes behind a mask.]

... Clearly not anymore. You should thank me. Now you can get up from whatever alley you crawled out of and find an actual bed. That'll probably help your sleep problems right there.

[lithoneysuckle]

I was in a bed, thanks. It's just that your crowing was so loud I could hear it in the dorms.

[aibolition]

You heard me all the way in town from the dorms? You got some kind of super hearing? Because that sounds like a whole heaping pile of not-my-problem!

[lithoneysuckle]

Nope, you sure you don't have super lungs or something? You're loud even when you aren't shouting.

[aibolition]

[He laughs.]

Super lungs! Now there's a power. I'll have to check with my doctor and get back to you!

[lithoneysuckle]

Yeah, you go and do that. And next time you're out hunting or whatever, can you at least try not to make such a big scene out of it?

b;

[transfusionem]

There's no sound of a door opening, or even the sound of footsteps to give any indication that he's not alone on the roof anymore. There's the sound of something that might be a flutter of wings, and then there's a shadow falling over him as someone looks down at him.

"You're new here."

Thanks, Captain Obvious.

[aibolition]

Laying on the rooftop he could almost imagine he's back there, stuck in that idiot's head. It's so quiet out here. Really, nothing to give a sense he's anywhere different. Even that one little noise is almost familiar, just off but close enough for him to mistake it as flicking and fluttering cloak, something that had always seemed like wings. And then, the difference in the light behind his eyelids, and that's enough for him to see it, that looming presence.

"Zange--?"

It's a girl's voice. Not an old man's not even a boy's. His eyes blink open, black sclera with sharp gold irises. He scowls.

"... No shit."

[transfusionem]

Zange? Adelaide blinks at that, tilting her head. She’s curious, but she knows better than to press.

“Sorry,” she says with a soft laugh. “I wasn’t expecting to see anyone new tonight.”

She tucks her hands into her pockets, looking down at him curiously. He’s definitely non-human, but she couldn’t place what he is if she was being paid for it.

[aibolition]

He lifts a brow, frowning more as she laughs and looks him over.

"Do they usually let everyone know when someone new's coming?" He asks. God, he hopes not.

He sits up, raising a knee to lean his arm on it. He's not getting up but at least this way he doesn't have to have her hanging over him.

[transfusionem]

“Nah, not usually.” She crouches down so she’s at his level, hands still tucked in her pockets. It feels rude, just hovering over him.

“But I guess I wasn’t expecting to see anyone out on the roof tonight.” Even though the Lumiere roof is way safer than Aube’s. There’s a brief paise, before - “I’m Adelaide, by the way.”

[aibolition]

Feels patronizing with her crouching. But then, he's bound to read badly into everything. She gives her name and he simply stares at her a long moment, giving nothing back.

"Alright."

What an asshole.

"You know what they say about fresh air."

FLOOR THREE

[soft_focus]

Is that music?

Reira herself hasn't actually played around with the karaoke machine too much, possibly because she doesn't actually understand how it works still. mostly it spits out songs, there are words, and you...Copy. Yeah.

This is someone New however, and Reira is slowly creeping out into the room in her usual ghost-like way. Except....Except...

"...But they said you had to copy the words..."

HE'S BREAKING THE RULE!!!

On that note, this kid might feel Weirdly empty.

[aibolition]

Weirdly empty but not hollow. That much he can confirm by sight as he lowers the book just slightly and lifts a brow. Some little kid. Geez, they really do just let anyone in here. Guess that's how he got in.

"And?" He asks. "What about it?"

No kindness for the kid from him.

[soft_focus]

"...They said I had to follow the words..." Was...Was that wrong?

Can she just play the music and sit like this guy is???

[aibolition]

He scoffs. "So follow them, I don't care, nothing's stopping you. Do whatever the hell you want."

What a weird kid.

[soft_focus]

"Mnhh..."

Yeah? Cool. Anything she wants?

She's sitting on the other couch. You said this was okay, with your Words.

[aibolition]

He makes a face but says nothing. He'd rather be left alone but this is meant to be a communal space. He'll suffer it. For a minute or two.

"I'm guessing you live here too, then?" He asks.

B

[no_dejare_de_quererte]

For this particular student, she hadn't gotten a whole lot of information. Generally, she likes to at least have a name before they show up on floor. But not this one, it seems... Somehow, all her kids ended up being difficult in one way or another.

She tries to think of it as just... preparing herself. For the next arrival. And then the one after that, and the one after that. Eventually, nothing will phase her anymore.

Which is why she finds herself standing on the roof with her hands on her hips and frowning down at a boy with stark white skin and not batting an eye. "Are you really going to make me tell you that you shouldn't be up here? On your first day? Is that how we're going to start your school year, muchacho?"

[aibolition]

The furrow of his brow deepens a moment before his eyes open in a squint up at her. Normal looking lady, but hey, you never could tell.

"Eeyup. Sure is," He says. "But I'm not making you tell me anything. Pretty sure the stairs are back that way if you really want to save yourself the trouble."

He doesn't get up.

[no_dejare_de_quererte]

The second that he opens his eyes to squint up at her, she flinches. Those eyes... aren't eyes she thought she would see again. For a moment, there's both recognition and dread in her own eyes, before she takes a moment to brace herself.

"I know where the stairs are. I took them up here."

Her tone is a little less emotive--more reflexive than anything. The school might not have told her much, but they could have at least told her that the new student was one of those things. She had a right to know that much, didn't she? After all the grief she'd suffered--and even some of the students on her floor as well.

It's just one more thing that shakes her faith in this school, but it's not going to shatter it. If this boy is here with the school's permission, well... It has to be for some reason.

She wants to ask. Why him. What the hell is all this? But that's not a topic to broach just yet, when they've barely said more than ten words to each other. She looks towards the barred railing, trying quickly to think up something less hostile than the thoughts in her head in that moment.

"What is it with you kids and this roof? It can't be that enjoyable, being up here."

Nailed it.

[aibolition]

He wasn't smiling to start with, but somehow his expression manages to darken. Just a twinge around his eyes as he recognizes the flash of fear in hers. The line of his mouth is set and bitter.

But at the same time, he supposes he's got to give her some credit. It's amazing she's even bothering for anything besides hostility at all. God knows he wants to scream and throw things.

He sits up then, feigning calm. His voice is even. "I like the sunlight. Who knows. Maybe in a few hours I'll even be able to sport a tan."

It's a dry joke. He doesn't linger on it. He wants to pull on his mask right about now but he's sure that would just make things worse.

"You've seen them before. Haven't you? And not just in passing. You've got that look. It's the same one on all the people who are lucky enough to be alive still."

[no_dejare_de_quererte]

"Five of them, actually. We had a bit of an epidemic," she tells him, keeping her tone steady and casual. Like it's no big deal, even though she nearly lost her life at least once. "Four spirits and the daemon that made them."

It makes her anxious, having another one in front of her, but this one doesn't seem to be hostile... Yet.

"You're a lot quieter than they were." For the most part. Some were noisy and violent, but Héctor... He'd had his good days and bad days, even if both hurt just as badly for her.

[aibolition]

Five. His brow hikes higher. He didn't sense any of the shinigami or quincy clans around either. It's impressive there aren't more casualities. Or maybe they've just been swept under the rug.

"They tend to have a nasty habit of spreading like that," He confirms. And then she addresses him, lumping him in with them even. Quieter. He laughs once, and then more spills out, that high and deranged sort of giggling.

"Quiet. Now there's something I haven't been called before." Another laugh spills. "But I'm guessing what you mean is that I'm not perpetually shrieking like an animal. Despite this--" He drags his hand over his face. A mask materializes, stripes to one side. A hole goes through his chest, but it's only slightly visible through the fabric of his shirt. "--Those guys and I don't really flock together much." He waves the mask away and the hole seals up. "I'm impressed that you're still alive, seeing that many."