The Plague of Dunamas

(( I have been nominated to post first kfajfldkasjflkas EVERY DANG TIME ))


Everything was dim out in the Gardens. Lit only by occasional high lamps, scattered along rows and rows of flowers, ponds and shrubbery. It was quiet out, most Students already back in their beds, resting up for the next day to come.

But not Alisia.

A small, furry head poked its way out of a large shrub, baring its teeth as one of the nightly guards walked idly by. He cocked an eyebrow, taking careful steps towards the bush. ".....If someone's in there....you know you're supposed to be in your room by now...." When only ruffing of leaves answered, he ground his teeth together. "I'm warning you! Show yourself!" He froze when the bush growled, blinking. "....Did you ju-" White fangs bared themselves at his face as something small and white tackled him. It bit at his cheek, but he only erupted in laughter. "A dog?" He plucked the Chihuahua from his face, smiling with amusement as it thrashed to attack him. "What's a little thing like you doing out h-" Something was above him now.

And it wasn't a dog.

A small hand gripped his wrist, leaning in until a cloth pressed to his face. "WHAT-FKASLDFSAF" The guard flailed and struggled, but as he inhaled, black speckled around his vision. Eventually he fell limp, and worried brown eyes peered down at him. "Sorry...you'll wake up safe and sound." The Armenian gripped him by the ankles, dragging him back into the large shrub. The little dog yipped at her, wagging its tail happily. She chuckled, leaning down and kissing its forehead. "Good boy. Now run along." She gave it a light tap on the butt, and it yipped, darting off down the dimly-lit path. No doubt its constant barking would attract more attention, and that's just what Alisia wanted.

A sketchpad tucked underneath her arm, she jogged down the cobbled path of The Gardens, eyes trained and ready to leap at any movement.

Oh yes, The Syndicate was a safe place, but lately Alisia was wondering if it was too safe. No-one could leave once they'd entered, and if they dared, they were put under suspension. What suspension was, noone really knew, but everyone who came out if it was always shaking with this deathly fear in their eyes. Alisia didn't plan to become one of them, but she wasn't going to be kept in this cage of a Syndicate any longer. Sure, she got three decent meals a day, a warm and comfortable place to sleep, and even had friends here. But the curiosities of the outside world....Well, anyone who knew Alisia would say that her curiosity would be the death of her one day.

Today was not going to be that day.

She could see it now, and it made her eyes brighten. The Wall. The very thing that kept the people trapped in The Syndicate from interacting with the outside world. No-one could breach it, rumors were that it was made of the toughest metal. No-one could climb it, and for sure there was no keyhole. Alisia had discovered, through weeks of spying and eavesdropping, that it was operated by a contraption deep within the Syndicate. But with her paints, Alisia had no need for a lever.

She sighed in hope as her palm caressed the black metal of The Gate, eyes sparkling. This was it, she could do it! She bent to the ground, dabbing the tip of her brush against her tongue, pressing it against her dried section of brown paint. Most doors were brown, in her mind. She flipped a page in her sketchpad, closing her eyes as her fingers danced with her brush, a dance that would create whatever she wished. It was strange though, she found that she could only do it properly when her eyes were closed, imagining just what she wanted to create.

Slowly, lines formed on the paper, the outline of an arched doorway. The image speckled to life in her mind, just as quickly as on the paper. With one last stroke, she tore the page from its binds, slapping it against the wall. It sunk in, and slowly, the edges of a door spread across the metal, dark brown wood blooming against its surface. Alisa ran her hand across it, feeling the splinters caress her fingertips. "Perfect," she breathed.

".....Now what."

The wall was notorious for being feet upon feet thick. If her door extended to the other side, she couldn't just....push it open.

Not to mention the fact that she'd made it as tall as a house.

"Oops...ehe...." Sometimes, her imagination got a bit carried away. She tapped her chin, eyes popping wide at an idea. "Oh!" She brought her sketchpad close, kneeling again as she dipped her brush on her tongue. A mixture of green, yellow and brown paints combined, and she slapped the page against the cobbled road beneath her. The shape form and rose, stretching its tiny talons and swinging its mighty tail behind it.

It would have roared, but its mouth was...sewn shut.

"And who says you can't ride a T-rex." The girl laughed, clambering on top of the creature's head when it lowered it for her. "Okay, make me proud." She tapped its head, freezing when she heard yelling from behind her. "Stop!" "Halt now, or we'll shoot!" "Oh no...." she breathed, patting the dinosaur again. "Come on big guy, we don't have much time!" With a shake of its mighty head, the creature backed up, knocking a few guards over with its tail as it charged.

The door bursted open.

Luckily, Alisia had kept her page in-hand. "Good boy! Good!" She slid down from its head, hopping off from its tail to the ground. It slammed the door behind her shut, and she breathed a sigh. "Too close...." She could still hear the muffled shouting of guards, but there was no way they could push that door open. She took her page, the outline of the T-rex still visible. "Return now, to the page whence you came..." She held the page up, and obediently, the creature bent its massive head, slowly forming back onto the page. It was nothing more than a drawing again, and Alisia gave a sympathetic look as she tore it in half. "Sorry, but you are supposed to be extinct...."

With that all dealt with, she raised her head, gasping at her first look at the world beyond The Gate.

Streets flowed out around her, massive buildings sprouted from the ground left and right. Her eyes sparkled at it all. She had no idea the outside would be so....massive!

With excited steps, she jogged down the empty road, siding herself on the sidewalk. She guessed that since it was night, not may cars were out at all. An empty park caught her eye, and she ran over to it, like a child running towards its first snow. Something about the air out here seemed more.......free. She was loving it.

Though...she hoped it would be. Escaping like that, with all the guards seeing her, meant she couldn't go back. She took one last look at the massive Wall of the Ptolemy Syndicate, then quickly turned her head back. She was putting it behind her now, moving on. She wasn't going to get put in Suspension, no. She was going to be free.

The only way she could see him again.

Kneeling against the grass, she set her sketchpad on the floor, dabbing her brush against her tongue. Soon new flowers of all kinds were sprouting from the Earth, different lively animals bounding about in the grass, and it could only make Alisia giggle.

Elizabeta had, up until the past few months, lived a completely normal life. She had went to a normal school, lived with a normal family, and grown up in a completely normal house in a completely normal town.

That was, until the virus had spread. It had spread through her family, and for her, it had affected her the worst.

A few days after the virus had spread, she had begun to hear things... When no one was talking. Things that were pretty damn rude sometimes. She had been granted a strange power to read minds.

With every power, she had come to realize, there was a downfall. She had become self-concious, knowing now what people thought of her. There was no ignorance to her friendships anymore. Everyone she knew had an opinion about her, and a lot of it hurt.

But thank god, she had been brought to this facility. Ptolemy Syndicate. A place where the infected women, children, and men could stay and learn to embrace their powers. It had been a dream come true for her.

For the past months, she had been lodged with a girl named Alisia, who had quite the unique power. Her drawings came to life. Now that was something. She envied her a bit, that power rarely had a backfiring issue. Unless of course, you count that it took time to draw the things she needed. Oh well.

But she loved the life she had now. It was....so exciting. She was taking classes to hone her skills of mind-reading, and she had even partially learned how to turn it on and off.

What fascinated her was that no one had a power that was alike. Everyone was...different. Unique. It was amazing.

She had also heard about those other people. The people from the Abeyance's facility. The people who were hell-bent on destroying Ptolemy and ridding society of those freaks.

She'd never seen a person from Abeyance's before. She'd never even stepped foot outside of the facility since she had came.

But she knew someone who would. She had accidentally read Alisia's thoughts one day. The girl was like an open book. Which surprised her, seeing as the girl knew all about her power. Whatever. She had heard late at night in the girl's dreams that she would escape. That she would run away. And she would meet up with him. This made Elizabeta curious, but never commented. She knew the other would be furious, had she known she was sneaking a peek into her head.

Though she wanted to urge the Armenian woman to rid herself of the preposterous thought of leaving, she was all for love. She let it go, wondering who the very timid and quiet artist was involved with. It did surprise her a bit. She even envied her. To love someone, even during this tough time. It was quite amazing.

As she lay in bed awake, however, she could hear the girl creeping out. Saying nothing, she only laid quite still as she heard the girl leave, hearing her thoughts loud and clear.

She was leaving. And she would be free.

The sun had already set on the day, and as young ones were being tucked into bed at this time, a certain red-head was out doing his daily rounds. "Clear." He mumbled in a barely audible tone, scanning the terrain with his trained emeralds. He took a few steps forward, each crunch from the dry grass below him beginning to annoy him as it's repetitive sound continued at each footstep. Soon, the noise was replaced by a crackle as flames began to climb on the Scot's hands and the soles of his feet. He narrowed his eyes at the familiar element and took a deep breath, knowing the easiest way to douse the flames was either water which he didn't have at the moment or cooling his head. After a moment of silence, he glanced back down at his feet, the bottom of his raven pants being singed and burnt to a crisp thanks to the merciless waves of heat. "........Jus' braw."

He had a feeling this would not be a good day.

"Iain. The wall, section C. Get on it." A hoarse voice commanded, making him instantly eye the landscape around him. "On it." He muttered back to his ear piece, Turning to the the direction of the good ól Ptolemy obstruction and walking in a slightly fast pace. He knew where the wall was by heart. It was as simple to remember as the alphabet after all this time of researching it from afar. Unfortunately, even after all this time had passed. None knew how to destroy that wall efficiently and with great speed. Their had been plenty ideas and talk about infiltrating the inside of Ptolemy with a member of their own alliance, even going as far as digging a hole and tunneling into the society but most plans were just fabricated by desperation alone.

"Damn........How long are they gonna play this feckin' game." His eyebrows furrowed as he walked a much faster pace than before, his arms crossing and the expression on his face growing more serious as the wall got closer and closer in his view. The only thing he could think about once his eyes were set on the large metal divider was her.

"Report?" That familiar rough voice from earlier asked, snapping him back to reality and out of his clouded thoughts. He focused on the task at hand and stepped closer to the wall, making sure that his whereabouts weren't obvious to the point of being recognized by a guard from the Ptolemy Syndicate. He closed his eyes and leaned closer, trying to catch even a small hint of suspicious behavior. What caught his attention was the commotion near the wall at this time of night. Knowing the place had strict rules and curfews, it was odd for so much clamor to be going on. "Nothing tae out of the ordinary. Though their seems tae be an uproar abo-" He was cut off by louder shouts coming from inside, completely catching him off guard. Finally a few people enclosed in the wall, obviously not everyday citizens but of high rank left the place in a hustle. Flashlight in their hands, and looking in a random order, he knew it was without a doubt a search party and if he wasn't careful enough, he'd be the one found instead of whoever they were looking for. He had a feeling the men weren't searching for him, since they weren't acting aggressively, but in a frantic manner.

"What happened?" The Scot glanced at the wall and the people approaching, doubting it'd be a good time to answer until he gained some distance. As he took a few steps backwards, the crinkling of paper under his foot caught both his and the search party's attention. "Shite...." He raised his foot and glanced down at the paper that had given him away, wondering silently to himself why it was a painting of a T-Rex and ripped in half. "STOP! Why are you out here so late at night? You wouldn't by chance have seen a bru-......Wait a minute. Who exactly are you?"

The Scot couldn't help but grin at the man's suspicion, shrugging it off and taking a step towards the group. "I was.....hot at me house, so I went tae go ge' some fresh air. Really, I'm nothin' more than a innocent bystander. Honest." He held his hand out for the man who questioned him, trying to show he was friendly and meant no harm by something as simple as a hand shake. "....Hn. I guess there's no reason not to believe you. For now." The man reached for his hand and shook it, about to pull back when a scalding sensation covered his palm. He tried to whip his arm back to spare himself from the intense heat but the red-head refused to let go and only held on harder, the blistering heat getting more intense until the man couldn't help but shout.

"How aboot we have some fun."

No more than a half an hour later, a red-head covered in minor scratches walked down a enervated sidewalk, two unconcsious men in hands, and a victorious smile spread across his lips. "I donnae ken if he'll be happy aboot this o- "Happy about what?" The rough voiced man asked in a curious tone. The Scot shook his head, though it was obvious the man couldn't see him. "I jus' got ya a few presents is all. I'll give ya a full report once I ge' there." He took a sharp right, deciding to take a short cut through the park when little giggles closeby caught his attention. Thinking it belonged to some small child, and holding two knocked out men. He decided to lay them against a tree temporarily and take care of this little girl who should really be asleep at this time of night.

"Éy. Wee lass. Isnae i' past y-..............." He froze once catching a sight of this "little girl" or should he say "big girl." Long, wavy brunette hair, large, chocolate orbs, and were those...pups? Why would a girl be playing with dogs at this time? Was she drunk? "......I'm no' even gonna ask. I'm nae in the mood tae handle 'neutrals' when I already have enuff baggage." He turned to go grab his luggage when something about her made a lightbulb turn on in his head.

His eyes widened and he quickly turned to meet her gaze again. "WAIT....................Ye.....ye wouldnae happen tae be......."

Natalia subconsciously drummed her fingers over the cold metal table surface, her dark blue eyes entranced with thought. Thoughts about how foolish her peers were, wonders about the pain and agony the "infected" were going through. She had come up with the conclusion that this infection everyone was so worried about had been cured long, long ago, but everyone was too blind to see that. What she had discovered was that the infection branched off and grew into something more, and adapted within each and every single being it comes in contact with to become something new. She believed that any hopes of erasing the "infection" were utterly hopeless at this point in time, and so many were wasting their time, money, and supplies. The "supplies" including the "infected" beings used as guinea pigs within this wretched lab, in search for a cure with absolutely no avail. They had gotten lucky with a few lucky handful, but what were to become of them? Abeyance couldn't possibly let them go, not with this "infection" still wandering about.

No, they had to "protect" them, in which they decided to provide a home for then inside of Abeyance. It wasn't very much of a home. Sleeping within uncomfortable corridors shared by a large handful of others, working and researching for an impossible cure to erase the "infection" from every single living being with false hope. Natalia thought of all of them to be hopeless fools. There was no answer to this "madness" as a few of her peers have deemed it. She thought this "infection" was a gift to many who had come across to it, including herself. Oh, but no one knew that. The way the infection had grew inside of her effected her in a ghostly cause in such a manner not even she noticed until she was dragged into Abeyance so she would be protected from the infection. She was gifted with an sharp increase in her with and awareness.

This had proved to become a great advantage for her. She was able to slip into Abeyance's top secret files and every one of Abeyance's resident's profiles. She discovered how to edit, create, and destroy them at any moment. And she knew how to do this without being caught. She was able to study everyone's actions with more ease, and was able to figure out who she should and shouldn't trust in these facilities. She held the ability to fool everyone she came across, after only a mere introduction. Her ability allowed her to do so much more than she could imagine, now that she could imagine even more. But there was a tiny backside to it. She grew more weary quickly than usual, and found herself to be plenty weaker than she used to be. She knew she could find an advantage to this, though. She had no doubt.

Suddenly sirens blared and the room that was usually of a tranquil teal color, was drowned in red lights. She silently cursed to herself in annoyance. This is the third time this week. This BALLET's getting old. She calmly pushed her wheeled chair back, and slowly stood up. She made her way to the door, which she steadily pushed open to find everyone panicking, yelling, and running down the hall in the same direction. The alarms were loud enough. She clicked her tongue, her icy gaze scanning the hall -which cause a few heads to be pulled into her direction as they passed by-, waiting for a gap for her to occupy to walk down without getting pushed over. She found that opening within a minute. as most of the crowd had already weaved themselves out to where they were directed to. Natalia knew she was expected to follow in the same direction as everyone else, but she felt that she knew who was the cause for this incident... again.

As she calmly strolled through the busied halls she weaved herself through the people, towards the other side of the hall, where she would expect a door, often lead untouched for it lead to a vacant area meant to hold especially dangerous people. But it proved to be weaker than hoped and it collapsed in because some fool decided it would be funny if they were tried to infuriate Abeyance's staff and citizens. Which they did. It left behind much talk amongst the people for the following weeks. The higher-ups decided that they weren't going to bother to fix it, since they felt it would be a waste. When it all had abandoned the site, Natalia grew curious and investigated it, and, well, found a new passage way that lead outside. And for whatever reason, they didn't block away the door, or at least cover it in yellow "CAUTION" tape. But no, they took no action at all. Natalia considered that her peers were afraid that they would be caught in what would probably be deemed as a restricted zone on camera. She assumed that they still hadn't found out that all the cameras within a twenty yard radius were shut down, or that the security in the camera room were horrible at maintaining their job and paying attention, let alone be able to catch a blatant crime.

Natalia carefully maneuvered her way through the crowd, and to the door, slipping through it while she knew no one who cared was paying attention to her. She was introduced with piles of the structure's remnants scattered about. She weaved through the clutter, across the vacant space there was a gap - which was just barely large enough for Natalia to fit through while on all fours - to that led outside. She crawled through, and the first thing she noticed was the darkness of the night. "Ah... it's that late already?" She muttered to herself. She took a good look around, and began to patrol the borders of Abeyance. In no time at all, her eyes caught a dense patch of ivy occupying a large portion of the ground, partially invading the picket fence surrounding a heard of grazing cows. "Francis." She hissed under her breath, running over to climb up the patch of ivy.

She followed a blatant path of mass the lined the edge of the dirt path, that lead to a gap in between two brick buildings. There were a few men wrapped in vines, struggling for freedom. They were just another few anonymous faces to Natalia.

"Francis." She called out to to the man, crossing her arms, an annoyed tone ringing in the word. "Just what do you think you're tying to do, this time? Hm? I'm getting sick of this, it's interfering with my work, I'll have you know."

Alisia placed her paint brush between her teeth, rubbing her hands together as she tore out another page, an entire pond filled with fish of all sizes and colors springing to life. She smiled brightly at the tiny little paradise she'd created, laying in the dirt next to the pond, letting her delicate fingers dance along its waters. This seemed perfect....like she didn't have to worry about a single thing out here, out of that cage. Her fingers stopped dancing, expression dropping a bit. "Eliza....." She'd gone and left her best friend inside, leaving without a word to her....but Alisia knew the Hungarian would have tried to stop her, had she known her plan. They'd...probably never see eachother again. The thought made a tiny pang sting in the Armenian's chest. But Eliza had always loved the Syndicate...it'd be wrong to take her from it as well.

This was Alisia's own path, and she had to walk it. Alone.

A fluffy nuzzling stirred her from her thoughts, and she smiled fondly at the small, yipping puppy cuddling against her. She leaned towards it, nuzzling her nose against its, and it whined happily. "Thanks little guy...." she mused, bringing it close to her chest and laying there, wondering on Earth where she was supposed to go now...what she was supposed to do next.....and how was she going to find him? He could be anywhere, doing anything, with anyone.

""Éy. Wee lass."

Alisia jolted, whipping her head around to meet her brown eyes with emerald green. Piercing, emerald green...her brows furrowed at the rough face lined by ruby red, who stared at her just as baffled. His comment about 'neutrals' made her eyebrows arch. .....What was a neutral? But that voice......it was as if years ago were calling to her, and she stood, her sketchbook and everything else around her completely forgotten. Even the wind seemed to still.

She breathed his name. "Iain...."

He turned back to her, and when his eyes met hers again, hers were already brimming with tears. It couldn't be! Was this really....him? She took slow steps towards the man, his question brushing past her as just another gust of wind. Her hand place itself upon his cheek, and this close, she knew those eyes.

"Iain!" She threw her arms around him, her face already buried against his neck as she held him tightly. It really was him, even his scent was the same. "It's me..it's Alisia......I thought I'd never find you......"

Natalia raised her hand to her forehead, shaking her head, as if embarrassed to even know who this man was. She sighed. "Complementing me won't get you anywhere, Francis." She shot a glare at him. "And you still haven't answered my question." She looked over her shoulder. There was no one there. Good. She turned back to Francis. "And you're suppose to maintain a low profile. At this rate you'll caught and captured. At that point, I'm not going to bother myself to help you. It'd be your own fault. Idiot."

(( LargePostFollowedByAnExtremelyShortPost.Mhm.SeemsLegit. ))

The young lass watched as her chest rose and fell at a steady pace, inhaling the steam from the bath she had just exited. It had been a busy day for her. With training and the bar fight she had gotten herself into earlier. She honestly was glad to just finally wash of the sweat and blood and relax. She deserved it.

Running a hand through her fiery knots, she examined her pale reflection in the mirror, smirking at herself. Her skin was a ghostly white, suggesting the lack of vitamin D in her current schedule. Her wide sage colored eyes had dark circles around them, showing the obvious absence of proper sleep in the woman’s life. Her eyes were framed by thick, dark eyelashes, adorning them perfectly. Freckles dotted across her cheeks and exposed shoulders, honestly annoying her. To others, she must have looked sickly, but she knew she was healthy. It’s not like she got much tanner. She let out a long exaggerated sigh and moved away from the mirror, diving into her bed belly first. “Finally, jus’ you, me, and a bottle of Guinness.” She closed her eyes and took a sip, relishing the moment. Eveleen was one to get easily bored on days like this but even she needed a break sometimes.
With a snug little smirk on her features, Eveleen picked up the remote control and began flipping through the television channels, not really interested at anything at first. “Today on-“ “So tell me more” “Visions of hys-“ “Romantic lif-“ “Must be stopped!” Her interest peaked at the new channel. An angry woman with bone white hair looked enraged at the camera, grey sunken in eyes displaying emotions of pain and tragedy. “The Ptolemy is a sick group of “Individuals” who embrace a curse the devil himself has sent upon us. It just shows you how messed up society is now a days!” The camera quality was grainy and blurred easily. Eveleen recalled when camera quality was High definition and even the smallest flaw was clearly spotted. Now, you’d be lucky to get a good crisp image of what the T.V projected. “The Italians and Romans didn’t embrace their plague!” The fury in her eyes grew, as if charcoal had been added to the flames. “But the Italians and Romans died. They didn’t obtain special powers like us now. How can it be compared?” The reporter questioned, returning the microphone to the woman’s thin chapped lips. Eveleen leaned in closer. “Either way we are sick! Yes, some are gifted with good abilities, but what about the rest of us! Look at my son!” The camera turned onto a creature that was curled up on the floor, wide amphibian eyes inspecting those who had turn their interest on him. His skin was rubbery and slimy looking, like that of a frogs, with webbed hands and feet. Patches of her skin were still human though, as if they had been patched on by a five year old. And then suddenly, he returned to a human form. Tan skin and grey eyes looking frightened. The older lady returned on the screen, tears brimming her eyes. “To those her were hoping to cure cancer… I hope your glad of what you’ve done.”

The screen suddenly went black, static taking the place of the news report. Eveleen arched an eyebrow but honestly couldn’t help but feel… amused. “So, tha’s wha’ people think of us” The screen came back to life, an anonymous black figure coming into focus. “Eveleen, could you come down for a moment. I need to-“ Siren began blaring, the soft glow of the lights room turning an ominous red. Well, so much for relaxation. Eveleen slowly got to her feet, slipping on her boots, not even bothering to change. “Eveleen, there has been a code 11. I repeat code-“ Before he could repeat himself, the Irish lass flung a remote at the glass, smashing the screen and breaking it. Oops. She walked out into the hall way were a couple of panicked faces were whispering amongst themselves. Shoving though them, she made her way down to the Head Hancho of the Academy’s office.

Entering the grand office of the Head Master, she nodded in acknowledgment, leaning against a wall as she waited for him to speak. “Ready for some fun, Eveleen?” He asked, finally, his back to her as he faced outside his window, eyes watching the chaos outside by the wall. “Ye know I ge’ bored easily. This better be a challenge.” She smirked, leaning against the wall. “You know I wouldn’t give it to you if it wasn’t worth your time. Don’t think I forgot how it ended last time.” She held back a snicker. “Aye, ge’ on ou’ with I’, we don’ have all day, do we now lad?” She leaned down to tie up her boot. “Correct. Alisia Arabian has escaped though the wall, and she is of value to us. If the Abeyance get their hands on her, it would be-” “Bad news.” She said, finishing his sentence. “Exactly, but she isn’t dumb.” He cautioned, not exactly sure if Eveleen knew her. “If she made it out of here, she’s obviously worth my time. You want me tae ge’ her back in?” She stood up straight again, stretching her back. “Yes,but you need to take a sneak approach at this, Eveleen. Befriend her, make sure the Abeyance don’t get their hands on her, and get her back here safely.” She grinned and nodded, already turning for the door. “Great, I love makin’ friends.”She said, sarcasm dripping from her words. “Eveleen… remember. She’s just as smart and quick as you. Don’t underestimate her.” She nodded and walked out. Heading to the underground tunnels, Eveleen hummed a song softly, wondering if anything had changed. It had been a while since she had left the walls of the Ptolemy, and deep down inside, she was glad she was getting to escape for a while as well.

Once she made it to the other side, she smirked and crossed her arms, scanning the surrounding. Honestly, not much had changed. The massive buildings towered over and into the sky, extensive streets and a couple of cars scattered here and there. It was different. A good different. It was the world she once lived in. She exhaled and began to head forward, wondering how far this Alisia could have gotten before she was stopped by a rustling sound. She froze and looked to where I came from, noticing all there was a small bush, were only an animal could possible hide. “Kaladith? Is tha’ ya in there lad?” A small ferret appeared from the bushes, it’s coat traditional brown with white.It scurried up her leg and onto her shoulder, perching itself there. She smirked and shook her head, continuing on her way deeper into the city and the society she was once a part of. Not anymore though. Now, she was stronger. Thought of as a success by some, as a freak by others. In all honesty, she was Eveleen Kirkland. The Irish Drunk who picked fights with anyone who started at her funny, now the Irish Fairy who’s attitude, wits, and ‘talent’ got her to where she now stood amongst the Ptolemy Syndicate and who’s closest friend was the current ferret perched on her shoulder. Her world was completely upside down, but at least she was entertained.

He never asked for this. He hated all of them, the Ptolemy, the Neutrals, and the Abeyance. He hated the stupid curse he'd been oh so graciously gifted, he hated how he could brush up against the blades of grass on the pavement and they would wither, he hated how he could determine someone's death with only a simple touch. Sure, he had his fun while he chased Francis around, trying to touch him so that the Frenchie would finally be gone from his presence, but that was then. Before the Abeyance had taken him from the streets. They didn't even ask him to come, he was just prodded. With a steel pole. He literally could just walk right past them all and kill them, but what good could that do? He went with them, the "Neutral" having hope that the Abeyance could find him a cure. Instead, he was locked up. Arthur could see the prominent fear in their eyes as the people who brought him his lunch very cautiously lowered it into his cell, before briskly turning away and getting as far away as possible from him. He could tell what they were thinking without even possessing the power to read minds. Their body language was all the evidence he needed. He was the worst, the deadliest, the one power that absolutely no one would want unless they were some crazed psychopath. And even then; who would want to hug their loved ones, only to let go and find a corpse in their hands? He learned that the hard way. He'd been 'gifted' his powers when he was young- only ten years old. He had a future, a girl he'd had his heart set on, and annoying big siblings who loved to give him hell. But once the inevitable "cure for cancer" came in, all that went away. His siblings were split up between the Ptolemy and the Abeyance. The girl, well, he hadn't seen her anymore. He still remembered her fondly, but knew better than to seek her out, especially now. And his mother... As a child, hugging your only parent and thus bringing about their death was the absolute worst thing to ever happen.

Now, he just avoided everyone. He didn't care anymore, at this point. He was just...done. Done with it all. Which is why he didn't bother trying to escape from his cell. It wasn't like they really had any power over him, he could just touch them and they'd die at his feet. Sometimes he would dream of the freedom of leaving, and just hiding out somewhere where no one could find him. Maybe find an actual cure for this curse. He was a scientist at heart, not that anyone would really know. People were afraid to talk to him, to even be breathing the same air as him! It wouldn't kill them, but they were so scared. So he let them keep their distance, let them watch him like he was some sort of monster. Which maybe he was. Maybe he was just some sort of ominous monster that even the people with outrageously dangerous powers were scared of.

He heard a sound of sirens- third time this week. What in the world was going on? And that little perk of curiosity is what rose him from his cell. He just got up and walked out of there, getting numerous looks of absolute fear, but no protests. Nobody tried to stop him, they knew better. Instead, they kept as far away as possible from him, allowing to do as he pleased. He ran his pale hands through his hair- it had gotten a bit long, maybe he should cut it- and made his way through the town. He wore a simple green tunic, along with some faded trousers that were torn slightly at the ends. Mothers around him ushered their children far, far away. He ignored them. He walked towards the crowd of screaming civilians, who immediately drew quiet and made a pathway for him as they caught sight of him. He soon found a door- a door to the outside, possibly? Was that what the big deal was about? He was about to head home when he heard an eerily familiar voice. One that he could recognize from anywhere. Francis. He immediately regretted coming, immediately wished he had just stayed in that cell because anything was better than hearing the taunts of that frog who was the one person who didn't ignore Arthur. On the contrary, his teasing and mocking got worse.

"I'd think after all these years you'd learn to not flirt with people that could quite possibly kill you. You never learn, do you Francis?" He remarked, sneaking up behind the Frenchie.

Iain stared at her for a moment, not believing it whatsoever. Who would've thought he'd meet the girl he'd been waiting to see for ages, outside of Ptolemy. "Is i' really ya?" He stared into those deep chocolate orbs, that deathly familiar face, that distinct personality. As much as it was unbelievable, it was real and happening. "Alisia..." He couldn't help but return that hug ten fold, all those years of not seeing her, it was just crazy being able to touch her like this again. He suddenly snapped out of his ignorant happiness, abruptly shoving her away. "Uhh...I have a wee cold. Donnae want ya tae get i' " He fibbed, laughing weakly. He couldn't help it, if he accidently burned her because of his crazy fire ability he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

"Aye. It's real contagious. It'd be best if ye jus'..kept yer distance." He bit his lip harshly, restraining himself as best as he could. How would you feel if the very girl you'd been looking for was right infront of you and you could do nothing but talk to her from afar because of a curse? He wanted those fiery abilities to be gone more than ever now.

"Ye've been lookin' fer me tae? Heh..well i' sure did take us awhile, didnae i'? A stroke o' luck if ye ask me."

((I doubt I got this post right because of how long it's been but MAYBEIDID. LET'S HOPE ))

Natalia's head dropped down slowly, she pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes clenched shut in frustration. Why was she helping this man again? The reason was a blurred memory, thoughts of discarding the Frenchman from her troubles raced her mind. She waited for an opening for her to speak as he continuously ranted on like a teenage girl who had gotten a hold of fresh, juicy gossip. Belarus found herself looking over her shoulder constantly, to ensure that no others would barge in on their little meeting here. She would also eye the few men entangled in the Frenchman's vines, struggling for freedom, fear evident in their eyes. She would have to deal with them later. She could not let any of Abeyance's citizens wander around with knowledge of her all too casual encounter with this "infected" man. She had to quickly remind herself that death would be a last resort.

As Natalia was about to threaten to turn the blonde to Abeyance, as he would allow himself to be captured anyways if he kept up, his seemingly endless rant had finally come to a halt as his attention had been drawn to another "infected" blonde man. Although, Natalia had to press her hands to her ears to stifle the loud, abrupt fashion complaint from the Frenchman. "God damnit, Francis. Do you want to be held hostage by Abeyance?" She hissed, glowering.

Her eyes flicked over to the other blonde, and did a quick scan of him. She recognized him. Her visits with him were seldom, but she knew him. Arthur Kirkland; age 23, 5'7", born April 23rd, and is deemed one of the most dangerous men to reside within Abeyance, if not the most dangerous. The ability to kill upon a single touch, intentional or not. Natalia was a bit relieved to know that he had lacked enthusiasm to kill others on a whim. That made her no less weary while around him, although. The faintest brush against him, and she would be dead, and she was not keen to die quite yet. Not at this point in time.

Her eyes fluttered, she drew a deep breath to compose herself. "Arthur, yes? I'll assume that they somehow accidentally left your cell unlocked as they were fleeing with everyone else. Am I wrong?"

(( 400th POST. //throws confetti ))

The familiar scent of pine infiltrating her nose was the most wonderful thing. He smelled like home. "Iain..." It was as if all her sorrow, wishing and dreaming, could be squeezed away by those strong arms as they embraced. She just wanted to go home with him; for everything to be like it used to.

Her face was stabbed with pain when he pulled away.

"I....I see." She wrapped a protective arm around her midsection, a habit of hers whenever she was in pain. She just wanted to hold him..."The cold can't be....that bad, right?" She chuckled. "I could always paint up some-THAT'S IT!" All sorrow gone, she bent down to her sketchpad, dabbing her brush on her tongue and dipping it in paints. In mere seconds she tore out a page, pulling a small bottle from it, holding it out to him. "Here! That should help with whatever sickness you've got." She immediately hugged him again, burying her face against his chest. He was......warm. Incredibly warm. She didn't mind one bit though. "I missed you....I thought I wasn't going to see you again..." He was her lifelong, childhood friend. Memories like that didn't just go away.

She pulled back, taking his hands in hers, squeezing tightly. "But I got out! I don't have to go back! It can be just like it used to Iain!"

Mood —

Stop it. You're hurting him. This isn't right. You're going to kill him. You're monsters, vile monsters.

Chelle stepped back from the monitor, her lips parted, in the shape of a silent scream. The victims of genocide painted a gruesome scene on the display. Contamination was a deplorable excuse to justify manslaughter. Terrorism isn't justified. They can't use hominids as their own personal cavy. I will not permit this behavior any more. The young woman hastily removed the videotape from the monitor, propped open the cartridge, and removed the reel of magnetic tape. At least now, the supervisors couldn't force her to rewind the recording of a few dozen mutilations. The images of a fervid bloodbath induced a moment of hesitation. She unwound the tape from its round frame. The strips of tape were then divided; an arrangement of black, metallic ribbons occupying the bottom of the waste-bin in the surveillance room. Chelle glanced back at the row of monitor screens, observing the districts for commonplace pestilence. District A. District E. District F. District S. She completed the rounds incessantly. We can't afford mistakes. This is our only chance.

Sepia-tinged eyes flickered back to the Walled Gardens, the most crucial ward of all Syndicate sectors. A towering figure cloaked in fluorescent plumage and leathery scutes appeared at the bottom right corner of the screen. The figure was foreign, a being of which she could not comprehend. At that instant, however, another figure appeared; one she did happen to recognize. There was no misjudging the flow of auburn hair that sprawled across the assailant's shoulders. Alisia. Chelle's mere frown quickly turned to resentment at the onslaught of her subordinates. "This is completely unacceptable." The woman spat, distraught at both the breakout and the death of her associates. With a shaky hand, she pressed the button on the wall and spoke into the intercom. "Headmaster, I request Eveleen Kirkland—to the front lines—with regard under this unfortunate circumstance."

Chelle sat back in her chair, causing the slightest creak to emerge from the springs. Ptolemy had just ordered a new supply of Garden Egg's too. Shame. The young woman took a deep breath, pulled up to the panel switchboard, and began repairing the Wall (by means of technological advancement). "Don't worry your pretty, little head, Alisia. We'll get you back, safe and sound."

[That's right. I'm going xxxHolic - Zombie Loan - HDM - Phenomeno mash-up on your asses.]

((BOOM. GUESS WHO IS BACK UP IN THIS SPARKLEY PUPPIEZ? Post coming soon lovelies, watch for it ;3 ))

Natalia humps the wall very violently.