[ tumblr /// mood: worried ] Isabella awoke to the sound of the alarm. She sat up and gazed at the other bed. Still empty. She felt a bit of an aching feeling in her chest. Her roommate had still not shown up for school, and how safe would she be in these conditions? Who knew how much snow would fall in the blizzard. They could end up snowed in wherever they were at the time. Snowed in. The thought of it sat in Isabella's mind. If she was snowed in at the school, it certainly wouldn't be alone in her dorm room. She grabbed the book she had checked out and walked over to her dresser. She pulled out a scarf and jacket and slipped them over her clothing. She turned around and walked out of the door, going down the stairs at the end of the hall. If they were going to be stuck in a building, she could at least make sure she'd be stuck in the library.
[ tumblr /// mood: tired ] Isabella sighed. Whatever she did, she couldn't piece her dream together with the story. As the day went on, white snow piled up against the window of the dorm room. By the time the sun had finished setting, there was still no sign of her roommate. She waited a few hours after dark for her roommate to show up, but she never did. Isabella sighed and turned off the lamp beside the bed, pressing her head against the pillow.
The "x others" link in the likes bar is really hard to read. They're almost the same shade of blue.
[ tumblr /// mood: confused ] Isabella looked around at her surroundings. She stood at the entrance of a cavern. The grass around the entrance was brown and withered, and there was nothing inside the mouth by darkness. Out of the corner of her eye she caught motion. She turned hear and saw the source. A tall boy ran through the cave to the entrance, his hand gripping the hand of a girl. Both had black hair, but their faces were obscured: the boy's by a fox mask, painted with red markings; the girl's by darkness. Isabella hid herself behind a rock as they approached the entrance. The boy stepped into the dead grass and turned his head toward the girl. Almost as soon as he did, his grip on the girl's hand broke. Tendrils of darkness grabbed the girl, pulling her back into the deep cavern. The boy's outstretched hand clenched into a fist as the girl's form disappeared out of sight. Isabella jolted up from her bed, resulting a thud on the floor. She turned towards the source of the noise, gazing over the side of the bed. It was the book of Greek myths that she had checked out from the library. Had she fallen asleep while reading it? She grabbed it, looking at the pages it was open to. Orpheus and Eurydice. She had heard the story thousands of times: a man descending into the Underworld attempting to regain his dead love. Isabella blinked. Her dream matched the story to a T. But those weren't Orpheus and Eurydice; they were wearing modern clothes, despite the boy's odd mask. Isabella scratched the back of her neck. What did it all mean?
[ tumblr /// mood: calm ] Isabella scanned the map of the campus. Classes had ended for the day, and she had no idea what to do. She certainly wouldn't be going back to the dorms. It was much too early in the day to sleep, and she didn't know whether her roommate had arrived. What was there on the campus? A coffee shop? No. One of the courtyards? She would just be standing around there. The library - that was it. Isabella's eyes traced her path on the map. It was on the far east side of the campus, near the astronomy tower. She glanced up toward the east, spotting a grey object jutting into the sky. That must be it. When Isabella arrived, she was awed by the size of the room. Shelves at least twice her height lined the walls and more stood in rows throughout the room. Isabella scanned the shelf against the wall nearest to her. Dewey decimal numbers labeled the spines of each of the books. Some of the books on the shelf were pristine, as if they had never been opened. Others' spines were horribly worn, as if they had been in the library for decades, if not centuries. Isabella paused toward the end of the 200s section. What new tales would she be able to find here?
I Can't Believe It's Not Claw
[ tumblr /// mood: curious ] Isabella awoke to the sound of an alarm clock. She turned her head toward the other bed in the room, but it remained empty. Where was her roommate? Isabella pushed the thoughts away. Perhaps she was late returning to school after the holiday. Isabella stood up from the bed and walked to the the bathroom. She took a short shower and donned the Brookbridge school uniform once again. Isabella had not worn a school uniform before, but she couldn't say she minded it. It eliminated the hassle of trying to choose what to wear on that day, and it didn't look too bad either. Isabella slung her backpack over her shoulder and exited the room, locking the door behind her. She took the elevator down to the ground floor and headed off to class. She hoped this day's classes would be more engaging than the day prior's.
It's not even two months old yet, but it's already one of the best openings I've seen. And an honorable mention, since it's not an opening (but the show doesn't have an opening).
[ tumblr /// mood: tired ] Through the rest of the day, Isabella absentmindedly jotted down notes as her teachers gave their lectures. She didn't even bother trying to speak to any of the other students; she was still taking in the amazing architecture of the school. When the final bell rang, she walked off to the girl's dormitory on the south of end the campus. Isabella ascended the flight of stairs until the she reached the floor matching the room number printed on her schedule. She scanned the numbers next to the doors, trying to find her own. When she arrived at her room, she pulled a key out of her backpack. She hadn't realized the secretary had handed it to her until she had gathered her supplies at the end of her first block class. She slotted the key into the door handle and opened the door. Isabella looked around the room. Her roommate seemed to have not yet returned to the dorm, but whoever she was she had refined tastes. Opera librettos lined the girl's bookshelf, and Isabella even saw a tea set in the room. Isabella unpacked her items, careful not to displace any of her roommate's items. She should at least make a good first impression for her roommate. Isabella pulled a note of her backpack as she lay on her bed. She had come upon it when she left the "Christmas festivities" to return to her bedroom. It claimed she had $100,000 in her bank account. Isabella frowned. Who was this Orpheus person? Did he have something to do with the strange email she had received a month before? She had thought nothing of it, and nothing became of it throughout December. The blue words on the letter blurred as Isabella felt herself begin to doze off.
[ tumblr /// mood: annoyed ] "Last stop, Brookbridge Academy." Isabella looked up from the book in her hands. She'd finally arrived. Pulling her backpack over her shoulders and grabbing her suitcase, she exited the train, being careful to mind the gap. After a few minutes of walking, she arrived at a what she assumed to be the entrance to the school. Isabella felt her heart skip a beat. This was Brookbridge Academy? It didn't look like a school at all. In fact, it seemed more like medieval castle than anything else. Isabella's mood instantly brightened. This was exactly the kind of change she needed by transferring to Brookbridge. She entered the building and approached what she assumed to the secretary. The woman's gaze was focused on her computer screen, and she made no acknowledgement of Isabella's presence. "Excuse me..." Isabella muttered. No response. The infernal woman would have to receive a greater push. Isabella took a deep breath. "EXCUSE ME!" The secretary glared at the girl, her eyes filled with annoyance. "What do you want?" "I'm new here," Isabella muttered. "Isabella Belmonte Ortiz. I need my schedule and room number." The woman typed something into her computer, and a sheet of paper with a table on it came out of the printer. She grabbed it and held it up to Isabella. "Here's your schedule. Classes have already started, so get your butt over there. Someone will take your luggage to your room." Isabella frowned and grabbed the schedule. A map of the school's campus was printed at the bottom of it. "Thank you," she muttered begrudgingly. Leaving her suitcase at the desk, she hurried off to her first class.
Hey, Beauby~ Image: rinku Size: 400x150 Text: Isabella Colors: Light blue Border: Something simple Rounded(?): No Special: Have her towards the right of the sig, the text to the left of her
Full Name: Isabella Belmonte Ortiz Appearance: here Age: 15 Likes: mythology, fairy tales, medieval history, snow, winter Dislikes: being ignored, humidity, rain, her family, the holiday season Weaknesses/Fears: being alone, unable to swim, spiders Strengths/Talents: knowledge of certain myths, self-sufficient, cooking Personality: Due to her past experiences, Isabella has a bit of an attention problem. However, due to her quiet nature, this tends to manifest itself as bitterness rather than outright anger. Despite this, if she gets involved enough with what she is currently reading, she will be too caught up in it to care about anything else. Sexuality: Heterosexual Contact Information: tumblr Favorite Color: Light Blue
I can definitely help, Jaun.
[ tumblr /// mood: satisfied ] "Goodbye, Benjamin." Ben felt Marina's soft lips touch his cheek before pulling away. With a smile, Marina walked forward towards Crestatia, and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Marina was gone. Ben bit back his tears. There was no sense crying over her. She wouldn't want it, and he would soon share the same fate. He walked over to Cherno and grabbed his free hand, gripping it firmly. "I wish we didn't have to meet like this," he murmured. All that work just for this. What a cruel trick of Fate. "Perhaps we'll see each other again some day." He had never been much of a believer, but in this world of demons and game boards, anything could happen, right? He placed his hand on Cherno's shoulder and moved his face close enough to to whisper into Cherno's ear. Ben thought back to the events of the past week or so. Speaking with Marina, the pizza party, seeing Olivia, the body-switching, the snakes. All of it seemed to have happened in an instant. He supposed to could have done more to stay alive. It was too late now, though. "Remember this, Cherno:" he whispered, "Audentis Crestatia iuvat." Ben pulled himself back, a sad smile forming on his face. He turned around and began to walk back to where he had stood before. After his face was out of sight, he felt warm tears running down his cheeks. This was how it ended, huh? The words of an ancient poet rang in his his ears: Ventum ad supremum est. ...Yeah. So it has. Benjamin Ross is dead.
[ tumblr /// mood: resolved ] Ben gazed down at the orb. Sacrifice the power to save himself, or sacrifice himself to give someone else the power? Which would he choose. He didn't know what DECLARATION entailed, but Crestatia's words gave him the sense that it was serious. What should he do? What was the right thing to do? Ben breathed deeply, considering his options. Yes, that would be the best thing to do. Ben walked over to Cherno, placing the orb in his hands. "Cherno." He smiled. "This is the first time I've spoken to you. But I trust that you can use this power well, whatever it is." He looked down at the sandy beach. "If we never get back, give my regards to Olivia." And hope that the police don't find her, for whatever reason she's afraid of them. He walked over to stand next to Marina. If we're in luck, you won't have to.
[ tumblr /// mood: relieved ] Ben stepped down the stairs leading out of the temple. The sky had become nght-dark, and torches lined the path away from the temple. He noticed two other figures as he approached the beach where they had started. Were they Marina and Cherno? He let out sigh of relief. They were still okay, at least for the time being.
[ tumblr /// mood: tired ] "Would you like to switch you card?" the girl's voice rang out. Switch his card? Ben considered for a moment. If he had chosen the same card as Marina or Cherno, there was a chance that three people would return with them. But it could also mean that he was a sacrificing the one had had chosen. Taking risks had proven to get him on Crestatia's good side, yet at the same time he wasn't sure whether he could this time. Ben took in a deep breath. "Alright. I choose to..."
[ tumblr /// mood: tired ] Ben walked through to the next room. He was back at the entrance. Lit torches cast an orange glow on the surrounding area. The girl who had asked him which direction he would go was standing there, her back still facing toward him. "You again..." he murmured. What would the trial be this time? He asked once again, "What are you doing here?"
[ tumblr /// mood: nostalgic ] Ben entered another room. He glanced at his side, but Rhia had disappeared. He glanced around the room. There were several television screens, but rather than displaying programs, footage of himself were on instead. He walked up to one of the ones toward the end of the room. The image of himself, slightly younger, sat reading in the Brookbridge library. "You there! Malchik!" Young Ben looked up from his book, obviously annoyed. A white haired girl approached him, a smile on her face. "That's an exquisite taste in literature you have. Perhaps it would be best if we were acquainted. I am Olivia Toska Suchet." Young Ben frowned. "Benjamin Ross," he murmured. Ben smiled at the memory. If he had not met Olivia that day, would have gotten involved in this game of Crestatia's? If not for that meeting, he would have kept to himself in a giant school of privileged children. Sure, he was hardly poor, but in comparison to the others he might have well been. Children of politicians, billionaires. Compared to them, he was just lucky to have been accepted to the school in the first place.
