[ tumblr /// mood: anxious ] Ben moved through the room, the boy clinging to his arm. On either side of him was a pool of hot water. He reached a fork in the path, either left or right. The boy grabbed Ben's arm more tightly, his eyes wide with fright. He pointed towards the right, indicating direction he wanted to go. Ben surveyed either direction. On the left, he spotted a figure hidden in the fog. Could that be...? Or it could be a trap... It wouldn't be unlikely, considering how movie-like these trials seemed. To stand out, they'd have to take risks, wouldn't they? On the other hand, the right could also be a trap. Ben considered his options for a moment, before swerving to his chosen direction.
[ tumblr /// mood: worried ] A door opened at the edge of the room. Ben hurried through it, glad to be away from the loud noise. Not that what he found was any better. A child was tied to the wall, and what appeared to be a tiger was slowly moving toward them. The door to the next room was directly to his right. Ben gulped. The man in the last room said to stand out, right? He couldn't just leave the child to their death. Ben tore open the bag of candies, popping one of them into his mouth. Sacrifices had to be made if he wanted to stay alive. He threw a candy toward the corner near the child. The beast turned its head toward the noise. It walked toward the candy, licking it up. Ben repeated this, each time moving closer to the child, until he threw the last candy out through the door he came through. Once the tiger had gone out of the room, Ben untied the child from the wall and made his way to the next room.
[ tumblr /// mood: annoyed ] Ben proceeded to the next room, and was greeted by a loud clamor. He couldn't even stand the noise without putting his hands over his ears. 'All Hail Crestatia'? Is she that vain? Everything seemed to be in black and white. Had he suddenly lost his color perception? No, it was just their clothing. Straining his eyes, he could see a dot of color in the sea of monochrome. He pushed his way through the crowded toward the single spot of color. It brought Ben to a person. He couldn't tell what they were saying, but it wasn't the mindless chanting of the others. Perhaps he could help him find his way through the the temple. He'd have to figure a way to get his attention, though. "Why aren't you shouting with the others?" he asked, straining to raise his voice loud enough for the person to hear.
[ tumblr /// mood: worried ] They'd be accompanying him? What did that mean? Ben shook the thought off. For that to even matter, he would have to survive the rest of the trials. He stuffed the card into his pants pocket and proceeded through the temple, entering another room. He looked around his feet. The entire room was covered in, well, trash. "This definitely isn't just any ancient temple..." he muttered. He looked around at the junk surrounding him. Only a few things stood out to him. He picked up one of the items. He didn't know how long he would be stuck in this temple. Perhaps it would come in handy later.
[ tumblr /// mood: cautious ] "Go on, then. Good luck." Ben's eyes shifted back and forth. Neither of the choices seemed any safer or more dangerous than the other. I'll need it. He turned to the left, heading down the path. After a few moments, he approached... a table? What kind of island was this? As he came closer, he noticed something resting on top of the table. Cards? No, not exactly. As he stood right at the table, he noticed what was strange about them. Nine of the cards sat on the table. But instead of suits or royals, faces of teenagers were on them. A note sat next to them, reading "Please pick one. Consider your reasons." Ben scanned the faces on the cards. Most of them were complete strangers to him. However, he had seen a couple of them before. At that pizza party. Thought it had only happen around a week before, it already felt like an eternity from that moment. Still, even those he did not know. He would have to go with his instincts. "How about... this one?" He grabbed one of the cards off the table.
[ tumblr /// mood: anxious ] "You seem confident enough... Is that your final answer?" Ben flinched. Final answer? He shook his head. The girl must be trying to trip him up. He had already chosen his answer; he'd leave the rest to Fate. "Positive."
[ tumblr /// mood: confused ] "Left or right?" The girl murmured the question to him, not even turning her face toward him. Left or right? Ben thought. That's a simple question... Almost too simple. Either way, Ben knew exactly which answer he would choose. "Simple. My answer is..."
[ tumblr /// mood: exhausted ] Ben steadied himself in the water. His heart hadn't even slowed down since he had jumped. After he had waded to the shore, he pulled off his shoes and socks and threw the socks onto the ground. They'd be no use to him soaking wet. He rolled up the legs of his pants to his knees and slipped the shoes back on. Dropping the parachute's pack onto the beach, he headed toward the center of the island. As he neared it, he noticed a large temple in front of him. Moss grew in between the stones it was built out of. Between him and the temple stood a girl, her back facing him. "What are you doing here?" Why would anyone be here besides him and the others?
3 [ tumblr /// mood: ************ ] Ben pulled the straps of the parachute over his shoulders, following Rhia's instructions precisely. The other boy on the plane had jumped off before him. He gazed down at the Earth beneath them. A tiny oblong of green sat in a sea of blue. Ben could feel his heart pounding. He turned his head and gave a quick glance to Marina. He jumped awkwardly out of the plane, hoping for a good landing. As he started to notice individual trees on the island, he pulled the cord on the parachute. His fall slowed down, but he missed the island slightly. Instead, he landed in the shallows, a few meters off shore. Well, this is off to a good start... he thought dryly.
[ tumblr /// mood: tired ] Ben's eyes flicked open. He was no longer in the basement of the dark mansion, but rather he was in... an airplane? A girl with creamy hair stood at the front of the aisle. Large horns grew out of her head, curling behind her pointed ears. Her eyes glowed a bright red, but they seemed gentle, rather than aggressive. Was this the girl who had told them to wake up just moments before? Ben looked down at his hands. They were his own, not having Olivia's long and thin yet small fingers. He was back in his own body. His thoughts shifted to Olivia. If he was here, what would be happening to her? Was he merely out of his body, like their meeting with Crestatia, or was it worse? He knew Olivia would have no problem taking care of herself, but she had warned him to avoid the police. How easily would she be able to avoid them on her own? Ben heard the others on board with him asking the girl, who introduced herself as Rhia, questions. Marina was here, and some other boy as well. When Rhia informed them that Crestatia had sent them there, Ben's heart sank. Was this about the contents of their letters? True, he had not fulfilled his own task; he hardly even had an opportunity to do so. But even if he did, he would have hardly followed the ridiculous order. Though the other two passengers rattled off questions, Ben remained in silence.
74 [ tumblr /// mood: tired ] "I have returned," Ben raised his head when he heard his own voice. "Ben dear, are you ready to undergo your temporary fixations? Please-- please tell me where your injuries lie on my precious body." She added, "Be as detailed as possible. It is my body, after all." Ben gulped. He lifted his left arm, showing the inside of the forearm to Olivia. "There are some ugly bruises here, but I don't how severe they are." Ben glanced at his own face, seeing his green eyes darting around at his wounds. The whole thing felt so surreal to him. He went on, pulling down the shredded stockings. "There were a lot of cuts on the legs, but they seemed to have healed over night. However..." His eyes moved toward his ankle. "The ankle seems badly swollen. I don't know if it was twisted in the crash, or what." He allowed Olivia to check over the injuries to her own body. "What about you?" He recalled the bloodstains on the lab coats she was wearing the previous night. "Is my body okay?"
89 [ tumblr /// mood: tired ] Ben awoke to the sound of vibrations. He sat up on the the work bench and checked Olivia's phone. Only a single message from the day before. It must have been his phone. He looked over at the figure of Olivia in his own body. The computer screens in front of her cast a glow on her face and tinted the bloodstains purple. Her peaceful face showed that she was lost in sleep. He pondered on whether to wake her but decided against it. His body would need sufficient rest if they were to be switched back into their own bodies. Whenever that would be. Ben surveyed the basement room. The floor was covered with scattered gears, screws, nuts and bolts. Several incandescent light bulbs hung from the low ceiling. A robotic bird perched itself on the back of Olivia's chair, its head darting back and forth around the room. Had Olivia created the bird in this room? Ben knew many of Olivia's skills, but an inventor as well? If anyone could be called a Renaissance woman, it would be her. He checked the unread message on Olivia's phone. It was was from Marina, asking for a status update. He quickly typed out a short message to ensure that he and Olivia were safe. Olivia and I are fine. Currently in Burnt Mansion on Bacchus Road. Only minor injuries for me. Don't know about Olivia.
[ tumblr /// mood: exhausted ] Ben approached the imposing mansion. He only had to move a few meters further before he could clearly see the remains. Its numerous windows were missing most of their glass, and black marks scarred the outside of the building. A large whole sat on the corner farthest from him, the opening dark, yet somehow inviting. He walked toward the opening and sat down on the edge, making sure that he did not land on any shards of glass in the process. He pulled down the stockings to examine his legs. Splotches of maroon covered the pale skin, but there seemed to be no open scratches. He looked further down at his ankle. Through his trek to the mansion, the pain had mostly subsided, but he couldn't say the same about the swelling, which looked the same as it had hours before. He peered out at the sky. The sun was disappearing under the horizon. Ben stood himself back up, and stepped up into the abandoned building. Shards of broken glass lined the floor, and the dark mansion seemed eerily quiet. Ben turned his head back and forth, searching for any sign of the young girl. He came upon a stairway going downwards. The basement? A dim glow from the basement illuminated his path. The combination of the dim lighting and the clacking of his shoes upon the stairs did not give him much comfort. "Olivia?" he asked, the body's soprano squeaking slightly on the final syllable.
[ tumblr /// mood: worried ] Ben pulled himself out of the helicopter. He pulled himself up onto his feet, but a jolt of pain in one his legs. He must have twisted his ankle in the crash - or worse. He saw paramedics one of the girls, the one who was with Marina, onto a stretcher. He quickly rushed out of sight of the paramedics, hoping that the uneven clacking of his shoes wouldn't alert them. A trip to the hospital was the last thing he needed right now. Once he had made sure none could see him, he pulled up the long sleeves of his sweater and saw that his arms were battered and bruised. An especially ugly one had formed on his left arm. He hoped Olivia wasn't left-handed. The stockings he wore were ripped all along, showing bleeding gashes, and one of his ankles seemed badly swollen. He felt a vibration and checked Olivia's phone. Burnt Mansion... Bacchus Road... Got it. The last sentence echoed in his mind. Do not let the police see you. He climbed up a hill off the side of the road, wincing each time the injured leg landed a step. He searched the grass for a fallen branch, something to use as a makeshift crutch. When he found one he could use, he hobbled off away from the site of the crash. He hoped the girl on the stretcher would be alright. Had everyone else made their escape from the wreckage? He hadn't checked, too focused on preserving himself, and more importantly, Olivia's body.
[ tumblr /// mood: tired ] Ben was heaving as he reached the top of the staircase. Though the girl's body received much more exercise than his own, her smaller body made the sweater he was wearing feel twice as heavy. After he had caught his breath, he looked up at the people on the roof. Olivia, in his body, stood there with Kallisti Lein, and someone else he did not recognize. The man who had been in front of him introduced him to the others as Theodore. There was no sign of Marina, nor Elliot. He walked up the the group, wiping the sweat from his under his bangs. "I made it in time." He dipped his head to Kallisti. Though he disliked that Harley, he wanted to make a better impression on her. She seemed reasonable enough at least. "Where are we heading on this helicopter, Olivia?" Quickly he added, "Besides away from these snakes, of course."
[ tumblr /// mood: anxious ] No response. Ben turned the doorknob and pushed the the door forward. Olivia had thankfully left it unlocked, and the door swung open. Ben quickly entered the room and shut the door behind him, not giving any possible snakes the chance to follow him in. He noticed one of the piles of Elliot's lab coats seemed abnormally smaller than the other even-sized ones. Had Olivia taken them? As he passed by the bookshelf, he noticed one of the books on Elliot's side was out of alignment with the rest. He glanced at the title on the spine. Snakes of the Northwest Region. Had he just missed the girl? He pulled open the drawer containing sweaters and the like, and grabbed the thickest one he knew he had, one colored dark forest green. He pulled it over the Victorian dress, and rushed out of the boy's dorm. He shifted his head back and forth at the grass along the path. With his mind so panicked, he could hardly tell the different between the wind blowing through the blades and the hiss of a hidden snake. He hurried into the dining hall, and turned to face the stairs. He noticed others climbing the flight, and decided that would be the wisest thing to do.
Happy birthday, Cookiie! Hopefully some bum doesn't ruin it. Funny how Ashwin is the one to make the thread. :3c
[ tumblr /// mood: cautious ] Ben was awakened by the sound of Olivia's phone vibrating. He sat up and grabbed the phone, scanning the message it had received. Venomous snakes on campus? Lethal venomous snakes. This could hardly be a coincidence. It looked like the "game master" was upping the stakes today. He took the quickest shower possible, barely letting himself enjoy the hot water, and hurried to find clothing. He pulled on the thickest stockings his could find, and scanned the girl's clothing more something thick to wear over the dress. Nothing thick enough... He would have to take a sweater from his own dresser. He hurried across the campus, his eyes darting across the ground, making sure to register even the slightest hint of movement. He hurried up the stairs in the boy's dorm, not daring to try the elevator. When he came to his and Elliot's room, he rapped on the door with one of Olivia's delicate hands. Please still be in there...
[ tumblr /// mood: frustrated ] Kallisti had typed a message for him and held her phone toward him. He stifled a sigh. He supposed he could empathize with her. He knew of John Quincy's death, but who knows how many other recipients had been killed because of Crestatia's game. "I already told you, I'm trying to investigate. I don't know anything about the email other than what it says within it." Except for what had happened in that dream, but wouldn't want to mention it to anyone other than ones he knew had been there at that table. "If it's Cherno you're worried about, I'm not targeting him or anything," he told her. "I only chose him at random out of the recipients who weren't from Brookridge. That's all." He looked at the time and realized how late it had become. "I ought to get going. You can tell Cherno that I was looking for him, if you want to." He forced down the final sip of the foul liquid and exited the coffee shop. He threw himself onto the bed when he returned to Olivia's room. He checked Olivia's phone, and saw two new messages. The first was from Olivia, on his phone, of course. They would meeting in the dining hall tomorrow? He supposed there wasn't much of a better choice on campus. The second was from Marina, asking about his condition. He quickly typed up a response: He sighed. Perhaps they'd cooperate more at the meeting tomorrow, if Olivia decided to invite them. He quickly changed into a night gown, and pulled the covers over himself. Knowing his luck, tomorrow would be a long day.
[ tumblr /// mood: calm ] "Yeah, we know Cherno Plume, he went to school with us. He's here, on campus you know." Ben narrowed his eyes. He supposed this must be the Harley Jackson Olivia mentioned. At least, it was his mind in someone else's body. There was something about his tone that just bothered Ben. From what he could tell, the feeling seemed to be mutual. He focused back onto Kallisti. She seemed polite, at the very least. "I've been trying to speak with Cherno for the past few days," he told her, "but I haven't be able to contact him, even by going to his room directly. A friend of mine has been investigating the email through her own methods, so I decided to try and collect information about it. When I asked Olivia on her knowledge of Cherno, she told me that the only two Bellhurst students she knew were you two."
