#bergen_county

"Don't. You. Dare." And she grows cold and angry all at the same time, her beauty lashing at him like a winter storm, "You would lay hands on me? Make demands of ME? "

"Woah..." He stumbles back, yanking his hand away by unthinking reflex but his eyes shine, sparking.

Oh my.... That-is- attraction on some level.

"You have no idea what monsters lay beyond the thin layer of what you've seen. You haven't a tenth of the inkling of what nightmares really are! The trolls will face Skallstryke, and yes, mortal, you and I are both HELPLESS to do anything about it. I do not even have a name, and you? You are a flightless bird wishing it could taste sky. Stay in the bushes and foilage as others warn you and you may thrive to enjoy more of the wonders... but don't ever think I will tolerate presumption. I risk losing someone who I have known for ages! You knew her for a few moons! She and I hunted together through the Moors of Ire, and caught beams of the Midnight Sun to fashion into minstrels for my parties. If I, who once commanded armies of Ice born warriors, can bear to be helpless for a moon, then you , oh son of Adam, o ingrateful GUEST of Giants... can deal with it too."

Adam can watch, but he's sure not sure its safe to touch. She's like... a blizzard in light- beautiful... and possibly piercing to stand before.

A stubborn jut of his jaw. " I'm not gonna -hide-. I'll do what the Chief tells me to."

"Really? How novel... obey her then. She has been fighting for you.. and if you heed her? you might just live"

Still, he can't hide a fascinated stare.

"When does this all go down?"

The sidhe turns, and strides away "When fate and Da'an decrees, mortal. Welcome to a world where your clocks, your calenders, they are but a caveman's scratchings on a wall trying to make sense of living constelations where gods war. You ever try to touch me again save in kindness or my will and I shall forget how fond Dagmar is of you. With my name, comes my power- and I will not yield to the whispers of those who hang vulture like for the Chieftains' death, but neither will I endure demands from a mortal. " Oh she's pissed but ...dimming as she tries to recover whatever emotions overwhelmed.

It's like watching northern lights slowly fade.

"Damn....." awed "Zane, dude, sorry man...." He watches her leave. His ball dribbles away.

and she departs... carrying herself like a princess, even if most mortals only see a lovely teenage girl striving to subdue her anger, and make sure no tears rise.

Adam watches her till she is gone.

And soon she is.

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Meanwhile, at the high school... John Roberts doesn't know that he's in a land of magic. he doesn't know that all around him there are dreams wearing flesh for disguise and protection.

He only knows he's tired of it. He's sick of teachers that sneer at him. Sick of fellow students that only notice him to put him down. He's sick of the meaningless of it all, and he's very tired of hurting.

It's time for others to hurt.

He checks the spot where the gun is kept.

It's a pretty good hiding spot. He's pretty sure no one would find it here. It's not the best gun for really mass shootings... but it has easy repeat action, and should leave large holes in once living people.

The vest is there too. That might buy him a few more shots before they take him down.

At one time, he could narrow his rage and hate with three or four faces-tops. Three or four targets that if they just stopped being, then the rest could be spared.

Hell, at one time, he'd have just thanked god if those three or four faces stopped tormenting him.

Now, those faces have all blurred, and others contribute by.. letting it happen.

So he's just going to wait for the right moment and kill any face he sees.

Insanity can do that to a guy. But at least folks will be talking about him for a while.

It's not going to be with respect, but it's better than what he gets now.

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Piper gets noticed by some boys, which is flattering . She's not got 'all that' but hey, teenage guys can often imagine alot. She also sees one girl blush at her lightly and say "love your hair"

Then another boy moves around her and mutters... she doesn't know him, he looks pretty average, but he looked at her like she annoyed him.. made him angry, just for existing. But it's not just her that he gives the look too and then he moves on.

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Symon is minding his own business... well, okay, he's snooping. When a kid down the hallway walks by.... John something? Dreaming knows the school has like a dozen guys named John.

He blinks. For a moment, bloody foot prints were in the hallway.

but they're gone just as quickly of the sound of fading steps.

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Piper hums as she tip-taps through the hallway, a song in her head and trying to make it's way free through her tippy-hooves. A glance down at a rather crumpled Syllabus that she dug from the bottom of her packed backpack. "Ugh - where IS the guidance office?" A boy she noticed earlier is walking down the hall - she starts to say something, but his expression is off-putting, so she turns her gaze back at the illegible paper until he passes.

Then she sees a familiar, tall form as she turns a corner. "Hey, Adam!"

"Hey!" Happy to see her. "Hi, Piper." He approaches. "How you doin'?" Some eyebrow there.

She snickers and gives him a light, playful push on an arm. "Oh, stop that! I was wondering, do you know where the guidance office is? I had written it down, but apparently the gods of paper and pen do not look kindly upon my treatment of their subjects." A dolorous tone as she waves the worthless paper in emphasis. "I wanted to see if there was going to be an Archery club this semester."

"If there is, I want in!!" Enthusiastic. "Come on, I'll show you...." and Adam walks her down the hall to the GC.

"Oh, do you shoot? I mean, other than basketballs." She gives a poke at one of his arms. "And just so you KNOW, that thing they say about Amazonian archers is SO a myth."

He stops dead in the halls and stares at her. "Amazons aren't gorgeous and fierce and wonderful!??!" Like he's been told Santa Clause isn't.... here.

To mortal eyes, the GC's office looks bland, ordinary, but to fae eyes? SOmeone has dreamed enough times that it resembles the entrance to a Spanish Medevel Dungeon... with words in flame that says In Conformity- Salvation! In Independence? Damnation! Enter, and learn the truth we want for you!

There is a chimerical post it note under that that says Chill your tits. She's not THAT bad

She takes a few more steps before realizing that he's not next to her, then turns and laughs. "No no, THAT'S all true. I meant the bit about chopping off their chest to draw bows better. I took a semester of Greek Mythology so I could avoid English class. Turns out some stuffy old Greek dude tried to make sense out of "mazós" which meant, y'knows- and "a" which is 'Without'. Men, right?!" A grin.

"Oh shit, don't do that, right?" Adam jolts forward to her. "Not without... uh.... you know."

"No, I'm lacking enough in THAT department to say hell no even if it made me Katniss Ever... what the?" Eyeing the doorway in dismay. "Maybe I can check with the gym department instead."

Adam is busy gauging her charms. "Piper, trust me you are NOT lacking in any departwoah....." He sees the doorway.

"Piper." Quiet. "You want me to go first?"

Of course, last time Adam was here.. he was getting a talking to about his homophobia