SHADOWLING

[klinneah]

OoC: rpme.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=ooc&thread=8
SHADOWLING

In a world of despair, where lush green plains may become arid deserts in the blink of an eye; where cities and mountains crumble to nothing in no time at all; where society has become nothing but a farce; there is a devilish ghoul roaming our plane of existence, a strange visitor that has turned our hell into a fate worse than death.

These ghouls, known only as SHADOWLINGS, feed upon the souls of the weak and the unwary. Each soul devoured brings greater strength to the beast, and as its power grows, its hold on the material plane becomes stronger. Worse, each soul devoured leaves an empty shell that becomes a SHADOWLING itself. It desires only to possess a soul once more, but in its hunger, it leaves destruction in its wake. They are almost pitiable creatures.

Almost.

In light of the recent destruction, a group of us, the few survivors, have joined forces to combat these horrors. These survivors and I refer to ourselves as THE TWILIGHT CRUSADERS. Neither light nor dark, twilight walks the line between day and night, deep and shallow, good and evil. Some of us, the more spiritually-inclined - or superstitious, if you prefer - have set up sort of a safe place in Upper East Side, the East traditionally being the side of life and rebirth (West was the side of death and was considered the unlucky place to live). They have fortified an abandoned warehouse so that no SHADOWLING may claim their souls while they are inside. Aside from the physical defenses of the place, there are magical barriers as well. This is the only known stronghold against the SHADOWLINGS. If there are others, I do not know of them.

So, will you join us?

-May, a survivor


The Plot: You are living on Earth far in the distant future, in a world of desolation and chaos. These shadowlings are spreading, and it's up to the few survivors to find a way to slay them or stop their power.

There is one known stronghold in an abandoned warehouse in Upper East Side. This stronghold is fortified with both physical and magical defenses that make it impossible for denizens of the lower planes to enter. There are rumors of other, hidden fortresses all across the world, but nobody has yet managed to find one and return.

You, a survivor, must make a choice: to stay at the stronghold of Upper East Side or to set out to find other safe places.

The People:
May: The oldest survivor, she has run operations at Upper East Side for well over a decade. Sharp, methodical, yet highly effective as a leader, May runs a tight ship, easily spotting the smallest flaw in a wall or barrier almost the moment it appears, and then sending someone to repair it. She's nearing her fifties, but having had seven children has given her silver hair. Five of her children make their permanent headquarters at Upper East Side.

Jared: May's oldest child, Jared seems to have inherited his mother's sharp eye and obsessive-compulsive need for order. He's in his early twenties and still young. He's in charge of the greenhouse.

Elsbeth: May's oldest daughter, Elsbeth is more laid-back than her older brother. She's nearing her twenties, and is engaged to another survivor, Vincent. Elsbeth is in charge of the power generators.

Vincent: Vincent is in his early twenties and engaged to Elsbeth. He's in charge of the magical barriers that protect the stronghold.

Veronica: Veronica is in her mid-teens and is as sharp as her mother, though not quite as orderly as her older brother Jared. She helps with the greenhouse.

Benjamin: Veronica's boyfriend. He helps patrol the hallways and maintain the physical defenses.

George: Veronica's twin brother, George looks nearly identical to his sister, but is nearly the opposite in personality. He's a neat freak, but isn't quite as perceptive as Veronica. He dresses casually and takes care of the plants in the greenhouse. George has something of a green thumb and every plant under his care flourishes.

The Magic: Although at first glance this is an apocalyptic roleplay, in reality it is also fantasy. The magic system is quite simple: every action relies on energy, and this applies to magic as well. The energy can come from the spellcaster, a battery, another life form, or, in rare cases like the stronghold, a neverending magical well-spring that comes from the lower planes. Magic can be used the instant a spell is cast, or stored for later in a substance that can contain it, such as metal. (Magic is sometimes described as the opposite of electricity, so it would stand to reason that a conductor of electricital energy would be an excellent substance in which to store magical energy.) The energy a spell requires is a function of the energy required to perform the action without magic, although it is generally impossible to measure the energy required for an action that cannot be performed without magic.

The Lower Planes: Supposedly the origin of the SHADOWLINGS, very little is known about the worlds we do not inhabit.

The SHADOWLINGS: SHADOWLINGS are black beasts, resembling wingless dragons with pointed heads, three sets of grey horns, many rows of needlelike teeth, overly long and agile limbs, and a scorpion-like tail. Their bodies are skeletal, nothing but skin and bones, and their joints are horribly exaggerated. Their long claws are perfect for slashing, and the second pair of fangs behind the first is what rips a soul from its body. SHADOWLINGS possess a keen sense of smell, which compensates for their lack of sight, and an unusually sharp sixth sense, which they use to hunt down humans.

The Others:
West: A spirit of the lower planes, very little is known about this "God of the Shadows."

East: A spirit of the lower planes, very little is known about this "God of the Light."

TL;DR it's awesome.

---

The Character Form:
All sections are required.
Username:
Name:
Age:
Ethnicity:
History:
Personality:
Appearance:
Other Information:

Alternatively, you may create an introduction post that encompasses all of these sections.

The Rules
1. Respect the mods, respect the admin, and respect the owner of this roleplay.
2. No, absolutely NO god-modding or power playing. God-modding means that your character is immune to damage or has an unfair advantage over another character. Power playing means that you, the roleplayer, take control of another person's character and make that character do actions that the character would not normally do.
3. Please, please, please do not be afraid to be active!
4. Post at least five sentences of at least three words each per post.
5. In-Character fights are allowed, just be nice.
6. Romance is allowed. However, do not start a relationship with a random character without asking their permission first. If the other person says no, it's still okay to flirt every now and then, but just remember that you're going to get that character pissed. If someone repeatedly tells you that they don't want to have a relationship with your character, and you continue to try to have a relationship, I will use my modly powers to tell you to stop. And if you can't listen to the mod, the mod will have to bring in the admin, and let me tell you that will not be fun, and you will have serious punishment brought down upon your head. Harassment will not be tolerated.

Have fun!

[klinneah]

The Characters:

Survivors
Username: Brooklyn Rage
Name: Erika Sneik
Age: 18
Ethnicity: Caucasian
History: Born in Japan unexpectedly by her parents on a vacation, she's never felt wanted and always kept to herself. Even though her parents never gave of that radiance of love, she loved them. After they were taken by the Shadowlings, she ran away to The Twilight Crusaders she heard of in tales if this tragic happening ever did happen. She hoped they would let her join, to give her a sense of being wanted and to make a difference.
Personality: keeps to herself, can be strong at times, people are able to strike her down easily, fights for what's right.
Appearance: pale skin, short black hair to her shoulders [sometimes wears it in a small braid], scarlet eyes. Wears a tattered black tank top, torn and worn plain skinny jeans and white basketball shoes.
Other Information: Erika knows how to handle many types of weapons such as handguns, shotguns, rifles, swords, daggers and others since her mother and father did not expect a child, thus losing money and had to move to a run down, gang filled crime-smeared neighborhood where she always had to defend herself from the age of 8. She fired her first gun at 9.

Username: Brooklyn Rage
Name: Kaen Yamen [pronouned KY-een YA-men]
Age: 18, a month away from 19
Ethnicity: Unknown, assumed to be Caucasian
History: Born into a rich family, Kaen has had everything he'd ever want. He was born in Japan [intended], and then his family decided to move back to the US. He and Erika went to the same school for Kindergarten but then never saw each other again. When these Shadowlings came along they took his family because they were rich, weak, didn't know how to fight. He ran to the only safe place. After reuniting with Erika he vows to fight to the end, and maybe hold a stronger bond with Erika.
Personality: Strong, determined, loud, caring, the opposite of Erika mostly. He's very protective about anything he cares about.
Appearance: Spiked out black hair, black eyes, pale skin. He always wears black basketball shorts past his knees, a simply flowing white shirt and black basketball shoes.
Other Information: In Kindergarten before he knew he was rich, he cared about Erika and protected her and hung out with her. As he grew up away from her, she couldn't keep him in the right direction so slowly he became more and more arrogant. When they finally reunite he remembers how he acted and tries to stay the same. He strays away some times and separates himself.

Username: The Taco Pony
Name: Sofi
Age: 16-17
Ethnicity: Unknown
History: Not enough known.
Personality: Quiet and calm, but she's good at making friends. Sofi believes in a lot of things that don't make sense...or exist.
Appearance: (Making picture later) Hair: Shoulder length, white, falls over most of her face; Skin: Pale, almost as white as her hair; Eyes: White (blind); Clothing: She likes to wear a black and white striped long-sleeved shirt and black skinny jeans with her favorite Mary Janes.
Other Information: She can look into the world beyond, sometimes standing still with a blank expression when she has a vision of death. She can still 'see' even though she's blind.

Username: klinneah
Name: Venessa Baldwin "Red Ness"
Age: 25 years, although she looks much older
Ethnicity: German/Native American
History: After the SHADOWLINGS took her sister, Vanessa and her parents knew they had to get out, and fast. They didn't have to travel far, but her mother fell prey to the SHADOWLINGS in an ambush. Vanessa and her father made it safely to Upper East Side, and they've been there for a few months now. Ness is itching to get out and get her revenge, but because of the circumstances of their escape, she's physically unable to do so.
Personality: Bitter, jaded, and stricken with grief, Ness is the kind of person you'd want to keep on the good side. She'll lash out at anything and anyone around her just because she can. She sulks a lot, tends to hide away, and really only cares about her dad.
Appearance: Ness is medium height, with a well-muscled physique and power behind every punch. She's not a looker, but she'll deck you if you dare insult anything she cares about. With hair the color of rich soil, and two different-colored eyes (one's blue, one's brown), she's pretty normal-looking. Three long, thin scar lines run from her forehead to her right cheek and down to her chin.
Other Information: In her escape from the SHADOWLINGS, the truck they were driving rolled over onto the passenger's side. Her right arm was crushed and never healed properly, leading to her inability to use a big gun or work out with both arms.

[Happy Medium]

Username: The Taco Pony
Name: Sofi
Age: 16-17
Ethnicity: Unknown
History: Not enough known.
Personality: Quiet and calm, but she's good at making friends. Sofi believes in a lot of things that don't make sense...or exist.
Appearance: (Making picture later) Hair: Shoulder length, white, falls over most of her face; Skin: Pale, almost as white as her hair; Eyes: White (blind); Clothing: She likes to wear a black and white striped long-sleeved shirt and black skinny jeans with her favorite Mary Janes.
Other Information: She can look into the world beyond, sometimes standing still with a blank expression when she has a vision of death. She can still 'see' even though she's blind.

[klinneah]

Erika and TP, both accepted, although I expect to see some history from TP.

FROM THIS POINT ON, PLEASE PUT ALL CHARACTER FORMS AND UPDATES IN THE OOC THREAD.

[kaibafan123]

Please don't tell me this is about the zombie apocalypse.
*facepalm*

[klinneah]

Please direct all OoC chatter to the OoC thread.

[klinneah]

((Well, this is the official beginning of the roleplay! Welcome aboard!))

The sun rose bright that early December morning, but the cloudless sky hung over empty buildings and eerie streets. Howling winds blew endlessly through the valleys of the concrete jungle, but inside the fortress at Upper East Side, New York, all was quiet.

To the few that were awake at this ungodly hour, the warehouse was silent. Only the footsteps in the corridor forbore the presence of anyone active.

Benjamin was strolling past the empty shelves and barred windows, anxiously holding his AK-47 semi-ready, his sand-colored army boots making only the soft footfalls of a kitten on the concrete floor. His blond hair swept back and forth over his eyes as he turned his head from side to side at every intersection, carefully scanning every I-beam and wall for possible imperfections: if the physical defenses came crumbling down, the magical barriers would be the next to go.

At the northeastern corner of the building he stopped, turned south, and walked slowly back to the other end, looking nervously left and right at every intersection. After about the third row of uninteresting and unthreatening shelves, he bumped into a shriveled and sharp little figure that had just rounded the bend.

"S-so sorry, May, d-didn't see you there," he stammered, backpedaling quickly to get off the matriarch's toes. The tiny woman didn't seem to notice he'd stepped on her foot, or even that he was there at all. The matron of Upper East Side, the fifty-something May, was busy shuffling worn papers and muttering to herself. "Three in August...two more in September...none in October or November," was all Ben caught as May shuffled off, still muttering. He shrugged, straightened his camouflage jacket, and set back off on his patrol.

May didn't even notice she'd entered the greenhouse until Jared called, "Hey, Mom, I think there's something wrong with these tomatoes." She hobbled over - her feet just weren't as good as they used to be - and peered over the rim of her half-moon spectacles at the yellowed plants. They were, indeed, obviously unhealthy, with only a few scraggly leaves and no fruit to show for months of cultivation. She thought the tomatoes' demise might have had something to do with the weather, but she wasn't sure, for she certainly couldn't keep up with all the growing seasons of every plant they were growing.

"Go ask George, he'll know what to do," she said absentmindedly as she accidentally dropped several of the papers she'd been reviewing. "Oh, dammit." As she bent over to pick up the few that had fallen, the rest of the stack tumbled out of her hands and scattered on the floor between the tomato planters and the cucumber beds. "Oh, dammit!" she exclaimed. Jared bent over and collected those closest to him. He examined the first.

" 'Rations under consideration due to lack of supplies'? May, are you running a shelter or a business? Remember, some people here can't survive on rations. Most everyone here needs extra nourishment." May gave her oldest a hard glare.

"Jared," she began exasperatedly, "I can hardly feed everyone if there isn't enough food! You and George need to be working together to get the plants to grow! What's going on with him?" At the second sentence, she began waving her arms around, spilling her papers on the floor again, but she didn't seem to notice. At the third sentence, her hands went to her hips and she glared at her oldest son. Jared bent over and picked up a few more papers, glancing at the titles and handwritten notes.

"Well, I'll talk to him, see what's up with the tomatoes," he said absently, glancing at the topmost sheet on the stack. " 'We need to decide who stays and who goes. This place is getting too full.' May!" he shouted, waving the offending paper to demonstrate his anger. "You can't just make someone leave Upper East Side, it's the only place there is! This is the only building still standing that has any sort of protection! Sending anyone out in the open would be suicide!"

"Not to mention we'd have fewer to maintain the generators around here," a feminine voice cut in. Veronica finished pruning the citrus trees a few aisles away, stashed the garden shears in the cabinet beneath the planters, picked up a wicker basket and a trowel, and moved off to the potatoes. "We're shorthanded as it is. What," she glanced at her mother, "with Elsbeth out of commission for a while," she glared at Jared, who glared back, "there's nobody in charge of the electricity, so everyone's getting shortchanged. By the way, the tomatoes aren't producing because it isn't warm enough in here," she added, leaning over the planter conspiratorially and pointing her trowel at the scrawny vine May had been examining for fruit. "That's why we need someone in charge of the generators, so we can get a little warmth in here and we can have tomatoes and citrus again." She went back to digging up the potatoes.

May stood stock still for a moment, blinking in shock, until the novelty of her usually shy daughter speaking against her mother wore off, and went back to examining the admittedly-cold-looking plant. She was silent for a moment, then said stiffly, "If you think so."

Veronica pulled a potato, then stalked out of the greenhouse, leaving the bucket on the table and her gloves on her hands.

[Last Resort.]

-watches Veronica stalk out, silent, leaning against the outer wall-
Th-they're gonna cut people loose..?
-slinks and sits down-
I don't think I can survive on my own. I'm, like, the weakest one here. My guns don't even work on the Shadowlings. They'll probably cut me.

-Kaen turns around a corner and stands by her-
Kaen: What are you muttering about?

-She looks up to him, suprised and speaks softly-
They're gonna kick some people out. And it's going to be me, no doubt about it.

-Kaen kneels down-
Kaen: I think May is just being a lil cranky. Just chill.

-she stands up, annoyed with Kaen-
I can't. If I leave I'm basically dead. I might as well kill myself now.
-pushes away from Kaen-
Excuse me, I need to go talk to Sofi a little bit.

[klinneah]

Jared and May watched with wide eyes as Veronica stormed out of the greenhouse. After her cutting words, neither of them could summon the will to speak, or even make eye contact. Jared went to the potatoes and picked up where V left off, pulling up the biggest potatoes. The silence weighed on the greenhouse like a heavy blanket.

---

Vanessa pulled the blanket off the bed, flipped it over, and put it back on, tucking the edges under the mattress - one of the few luxuries she enjoyed. The brace on her crooked arm made it difficult to make her bed every morning, but she managed.

She took the stairs up today. Usually she took the elevator, because of her leg, but she'd been hearing rumors about generator failure and people getting cut loose, so she wanted to save the generators and hopefully avoid getting locked out the next time she went on outdoor patrol.

Big mistake.

Seven steps in, her right leg (the mangled one) started twitching and she had to clutch at the handrail - thank God for handrails! - for support. Another three steps and the leg gave out. She managed to drag herself up another stair or two before she collapsed, gasping. Her leg was jerking uncontrollably where she sat. Gritting her teeth, Vanessa clenched the muscles in her thigh.

A muscle cramp from hell jolted up her leg, locking her knee and stinging her eyes with tears. 'Thank God for empty stairwells.' A moment later, the pain subsided and the leg twitched once before laying still. She stood. The leg didn't give, and actually felt surprisingly supple.She climbed the stairs with little trouble.

The door at the top was unlocked, so she let herself through. To her surprise, the sun was already up, so she checked in on the greenhouse. May and Jared were in there, so she figured she wouldn't be needed. As she ducked out, she caught sight of the newbie sitting by the wall.

"Hey newbie," she said, not really looking at the very upset-looking kid. "What's got you beat, huh? Gettin' cut?"

[Last Resort.]

Kaen, looks up, now sitting in Erika's spot. His eyes are tired, not from crying, just from the stress. He stands up shakily and looks away, remembering he's a newbie.

"E-Erika thinks she's getting cut. I don't know why this totally distraughts me. I mean.." his voice is shaky as he trails off.

He runs his fingers up through his black hair as he fumbles. Kaen breathes in deeply, then continues to talk.

"I think it's the fact I cared about her like a sister in kindergarten, but when I left we seperated, and we weren't friends, and we couldn't contact one another. I.." he trailed off once again, but his voice was stronger. "I think I love her."

He looks up, and Vanessa has left, bored by his speech. Kaen takes a deep breath, aggrivated that no one really cares about his problem. Realizing he's talked it out and wasn't judged for it, he sets off to find Erika and express his true feelings for her. It's for the best. He trotts down the stairwell Vanessa had taken and runs to Sofi's room, hoping Erika had gone where she had said she was going.

"Erika?" he cries as he comes close to Sofi's room.

He runs to the doorway and found no one is there. Lost and alone, he staggers to a nearby wall like Vanessa has been limping and, when he believes he's alone, he slinks down, his hand on his chest above his heart.

"E-Erika.." he breathes, then stays silent.
--

Erika hears an echo through the hall that seems similar to her name, but ignores it. There's so many people these days, the names are getting crazy. She couldn't find Sofi so she isolated herself in her room, locking the door. The light above flickered while swinging slightly, giving off an eerie aura. She smooths out her sheets, since she's OCD about her bed only, then sits down on it, reversing the process she's ever so precise about.

"Would May really cut me? I wouldn't blame her if she did," her eyebrows knitted as tears dammed behind her bottom eyelids.

The sanctuary she now considered home was so utterly silent, it freaked her out. Erika propped her back on the wall the bed was pushed up against and let her legs dangle off the other side. She wanted to talk to Kaen, but didn't have the courage to do so. Thoughts of the good old days in Kindergarten whirled around.

Kaen was never stuck up back then. He was nice and cared for Erika. She was the one kid the others pointed at and said, "I bet she has no friends." Kindergarteners were cruel in her education district! Kaen was the one to push her on the swingset or walk with her or hold her hand. Kindergarten seemed so harmless, but everything Kaen did made it a million times better.

The light above her finally flickered for the last time and burnt out. Sighing, she reached for the candle on the small table at her bedside. Used and new matches lay next to the candle, Jumbled since a garbage can was not present. She picked up a used one and threw it in the corner with the others she remembered to toss. Picking up a new one, she lit the candle and slightly illuminated the room. Erika set the non-smelling candle on the table, laid down, and thought hard about Kaen. She took care not to fall asleep while the candle was lit.

[Happy Medium]

Sofi sat with her back flat against a metal hallway wall, rolling a rose's dead stem between her thumb and her forefinger. Brown and red petals and leaf after dead leaf littered the cold floor around her. Dry stem dust flitted like flies around her pale hands. Dust...

She remembers how much her mother hated roses, would crush them to dust. Sofi favored them now.

All alone in the hallway, the air went cold. It was getting difficult to breathe...
Sofi sensed another presence in the long, dark hallway. Whispers in foreign tongues echoed off of the walls, and the dim lights above flickered. Sofi's heart raced. She stood up slowly, and began to run toward her dorm when she heard a scream. Sofi immediately collapsed with her hands over her ears. Stray flower petals and brown leaves flew around the hallway. She yelled in frustration and attempted to get onto her knees and crawl.

Back in her dorm, Sofi lay on her bed with her arms spread out, trying to slow her racing heart. Her long, pale-gray hair was a mess around her face and shoulders. She blinked and shuddered.

It was getting worse.

[klinneah]

((BR, I never said Vanessa walked away, and next time please don't assume as much. I'll roll with it this time, but remember that does count as powerplaying, which is a warnable offense.))

By the time Kaen, the newbie, had finished talking Vanessa was already out of earshot. Nothing he was saying really interested her, so she left. Vaguely she hoped he wouldn't be too offended. After all, it wouldn't look good if he complained about it and she was 'accidentally' locked outside.

People were starting to wake up now, so she quickly grabbed a chair and sat at the first empty table she came to. Drumming her fingers on the table, she waited for her father.

[Last Resort.]

[[Oopsies. Sorry. Just getting hyped up about the roleplay I guess. I'm used to other roleplays as we control the others not made by users. I'll change. I promise -pinky promises-.]]

Erika looks up at the candle and sighs, thoughts of Kaen still filling her mind. He was always like a brother to her, and when he left it ruined a part of her soul. From her spot laying down, she tried to blow the boring old candle out, but failed. She sat up and blew lightly, remembering her only birthday party ever thrown for her in kindergarten, by Kaen and his family of course. She remembered being filled with joy as she made her wish, as she blew out the candle, as she felt wanted. Smiling, the memories made her feel slightly better about the current situation. The memories made her feel stronger and more willing to fight, survive, and not be booted out of the place. Even if she was booted out, Kaen would willingly go with her, right? She thought that question, then felt uneasy.

"Right?" she whispered hoarsely, no one hearing her or answering her.

The wall of strength that she had just built when blowing out the candle crumbles to its doom. She wanted to cry, wanted to die, and wanted to be like Kaen. Strong, willing, way opposite that herself. Erika sighed as she stood up and opened the door of her dorm and started through the hallway to find Kaen and figure out how to spend the rest of the day's time. Or night's time. Erika shakes her head, knowing she never really knows what time it is since the days and nights turned into twilights.

[klinneah]

((Controlling NPCs is fine, it's just when you control other people's characters without asking them first is when it gets into not-fine territory.))

Vanessa drummed her fingers on the thin white plastic of the table top. Where was he? Even with his arm, he should be up by now!

Ah, the rain. He'd be in pain. Maybe she should go help...

Her father stepped through the door. He was looking nice today, in a collared shirt and slacks, with his salt-and-pepper hair neatly combed and face washed, so that the scar lines on his jaw and chin were nearly invisible. She smiled as he spotted her and immediately headed to sit down.

"Hallo, papa," she said cordially as she reached to touch the book he was carrying - The Book Thief.

"This Mama's favorite," she said. "Very favorite."

"I know," he replied. "Very favorite."

She smiled.

[Last Resort.]

Erika looked around for Kaen as she traveled through the halls. What if she were cut? What if Kaen were cut? Or Sofi? She shook her head, wishing the warehouse would just quadruple in size so no one had to leave. And the supplies would pop up times a million and it would never spoil. There went her over imaginative mind again. Ever since her parents died it kicked up and was always making her chills colders and her second thoughts triple. Would a bullet through the stupid mind help? Sighing, Erika decided that wouldn't be the best.

"Watch it!" A gruff voice cut through her thoughts as a wall stopped her and sent her back to the tile floor.

Erika looked up from the floor to see Benjamin, Veronica's boyfriend. His AK-47 was aiming at her, his eyes alined with his scope. His cold hard face didn't change as Erika scrambled to stand up and apologize.

"So sorry, Benjamin. I-I'm looking for Kaen," she choked out in short breaths, really thinking Ben was going to shoot her.

Benjamin pulled his AK-47 from his face and held it the way he always did when he was patrolling, then spoke softly, "Sorry, Erika. Kaen's down that way."

Ben pointed behind him from where he had patrolled earlier. Nodding respectfully, she dashed full speed to find Kaen. She wanted to talk about old times, she wanted to remember the old times, she wanted to bring back the old times. Tears wanted to flow from her face but she didn't want to wash away her one luxury she really loved, her precious makeup she hid from May in every inspection. Erika couldn't imagine living without eyeliner, mascara, lip stainer and slight foundation.

"Erika?" a voice sounded shocked to see her.

Erika found her eyes had been shut, and when she opened them she found Kaen was sitting against a wall, nearly 10 yards from her. Smiling, she ran harder, then dropped to her knees and slid the rest of the way to Kaen. Erika stopped right next to Kaen, their knees touching. Kaen's smile and laugh illuminated her mood.

"So, I've been thinking about the old times," Erika sighed, twidling her thumbs to distract herself from Kaen.

He smiled brightly, then rasped words that made her day, "So have I."

Kaen pulled his arm around her shoulder opposite of him and they began reminiscing the old days, sharing and laughing. They lost track of time and spent hours just talking about the one grade level they shared, because they would never forget.