(Open) The New Girls

Claire looked around the room, focusing on Sarah. Tears start welling up in her eyes. I-I'm sorry... I-I told you this w-was a bad idea..." With that she broke into a sprint running out the door. Sarah vaulted over the desk, reaching after her. "Claire, wait!!!" But it was too late. Sarah turned to Spirit, looking a little guilty and a little frustrated. "I'm sorry about that... I shouldn't have volunteered her. This is my fault. Claire... She's different. She has borderline agoraphobia..." Sarah shuffled her feet a bit at that, and she kept her voice low. Claire didn't like her, er, condition being publicly broadcast, and Sarah didn't want to panic her more than she already had.

Hazel walked up to the Sarah and patted her back.

Hazel: It's okay. Why don't you take her to the bathroom to calm down for a bit. If you want, I can show you were a nice quite room is. It's not too far from here.

'What're they talkin' 'bout now?' Kalin wonders, having managed to sleep with his eyes open for about two minutes, missing the entire event and explanation. He now looked confused at what they were talking about.

Sarah looked towards the door where Claire had run, flinching a bit as it slammed shut. "If I can catch her..." Sarah looked back to Hazel and Spirit, keeping her voice low. "Claire's spent the last three years locked away in our house, training herself. The outside... it terrifies her. And she still can't really handle fully transforming. She can't handle losing complete control. In the beginning, when she first transformed, she was practically catatonic after turning back. Wouldn't speak to me or anything..."

Claire, meanwhile, ran through the halls, but was unfamiliar with the layout of the Academy, and as such ran through the halls without a sense of direction, wiping tears from her eyes when she could.

Hazel: Ah. Well, I'll help find her.

Hazel turned on her soul perception, then ran out the door. She spent a while running through the halls trying to Claire while running into walls a couple of times. It sucked that she not only was focusing on finding Claire, but she didn't know the layout. She kept getting closer to her target, then farther and it kept going on.

Sarah followed after her, sprinting behind the girl and helping whenever she ran into a wall. She smiled. "Thanks for this... You didn't have to help me... us..."

Claire finally found her way the exit, but saw a man walking up the stairs towards the academy, clad in a long black cloak. She skidded to a stop before scrambling to a spot that she could hide in, covering her mouth to unsuccessfully hide her hyperventilation.

Hazel rubbed her head a bit, and gave a small smile to Sarah.

Hazel: No, it's okay. I'm glad to help out. Now come on, let's go find her. She seems to have stopped moving now.

Hazel guided Sarah along, and came to the entrance after a bit.

Sylas walked past them, his cloak of madness seeming to unnaturally swirl around them as he passes. He gives them a smile, a little disconcerting given that his left eye looks not unlike Asura's Kishin eye. "Sorry for the weird appearance. I'm doing some...er, training..."

Sarah looked at it for a moment before stepping aside, watching him as he passed with a bit of a shiver. She nodded in confirmation of what he said, then, when he had continued into the Academy, she looked to Hazel. "Is she somewhere around here?"

Claire kept her hand over her mouth, though as she was breathing so quickly and so hard, it did little to actually conceal her presence. She closed her eyes, tears starting to spill down her cheeks.

Hazel shivered as Sylas walked by. Never before as she felt a soul like that, and it rattled her quite a bit. She took a deep breath, then looked around.

Hazel: Yeah. . . She's. . . Ah.

Hazel walked over to were Claire was, and motioned to Sarah to where Claire was, figuring it was better if Claire saw Sarah first.

Sarah nodded, slipping into the small side hallway, and finding Claire, balled up on the ground, one hand over her mouth and one wrapped around her legs. She looks up at Sarah, the token mascara she'd put on to make a good impression running down her cheeks. Sarah slipped down beside her, wrapping an arm around her and silently pulling her close. Claire suddenly wrapped her arms around her, starting to sob. "I-I'm so sorry! I-I d-didn't... I-I couldn't h-handle it! I tried!" Sarah gently shushed her, shaking her head. "No, it's my fault... I shouldn't have volunteered you... It's all my fault, Claire... You didn't do anything wrong..."

Hazel opened her bag and pulled out a couple of tissues. She knelt down next to Claire, and carefully dabbed at the mascara.

Hazel: Hey, you did a good job. Just keep a bright smile on your face, Claire, and take things slowly. After a while, everything will be better, trust me. This school is great for doing stuff like that.

Claire's breathing slowly began to calm, though her shoulders still shuddered with the occasional sob, cling tightly to Sarah, who said nothing and just held her tight. Sarah gave an appreciative nod and a smile to Hazel, mouthing a brief "Thank You."

Hazel nodded, and finished cleaning up the ruined mascara. She took out a little cone from her bag, and put her fingers in it. Small bits of ice shot out from her hand, and in the manner of seconds, she made a snow cone. She put some red drops on it, then held it out for Claire.

Hazel: Sorry, I only have cherry flavoring as of right now.

Claire looked at the snow cone before taking it and giving it a lick. She smiled a bit. "T-That's fine... Thank you... It's good." Sarah smiled a bit, happy that Claire was, at least partially, opening up to somebody else.

Hazel: It's alright. I just learned to use that yesterday. And froze my bedroom and my weapon in the process. But, that doesn't matter. I'm just content that you are feeling well.

She sits down against the wall, and then slumps to lay down. Her hat fell on her face, mainly to hide an embarrassed face. It felt nice helping others, and Hazel was proud of what she did.

Claire sat between them, drawing her hood up as well, pulling the strings tight. Sarah sat on the side opposite Hazel, sitting in an awkward silence for a few moments before clearing her throat. "Do you want to go home, Claire?" Claire twiddled her thumbs for a few moments, before shaking her head. "N-No... I-I want to give class another shot. I-I just... I n-need a minute..."

Hazel: Ready to face your fears. Your pretty brave, Claire, I'll give you that. Anyway, I should probably attend mine as well. I've skipped enough school without getting suspended or anything.

Hazel got up back to her feet, then held a hands out to Claire and Sarah to help them up.

Hazel: If you guys ever need me, I'm easy to find. Plus, it's nice to have someone else to depend on.

Claire looked at her hand for a few moments, even reaching for it for a moment before slowly withdrawing it. Sarah looks up at Hazel, giving a gentle smile. "I think we're going to wait here for just a while longer... Would you mind going and telling Mr. Spirit?"

Hazel nodded, then walked off. When she reached the classroom, she opened the door slowly, then walked back in. She took a couple of steps gingerly, creeping through the class room.

Hazel: Hi. I'm back again, sir. Did I miss anything important?

Sylas and Spirit were glaring at one another, before Sylas's cloak vanished in a flash of black and red soul energy. "There, happy!?" Spirit nodded. "You didn't really expect me to let you teach with your eye like that, did you!?" Sylas snorted. "Well, excuse me for wanting to train myself. Anyways, you can go. I'm here to take over my class..."

A certain cowboy raises his hand. "What exactly is this here class by the way?" He asks not really understanding what he was supposed to be doing.

Hazel took a quick double take, debating internally whether or not to leave. She decided to stay, and quickly ran up to her seat and sat down in it. She kept her head low, not wanting to bother the two teachers as they argued with each other. She also ignored the student questioning the class, just wanting to be left alone.

Spirit lefting, taking his clipboard with him and grumbling as he left. Sylas turned to address Kalin, clearing his throat. "This is a class to both demonstrate and instruct how to properly function as a meister or a weapon and as a team." He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Basically, I'm supposed to teach you how to stay alive. Make sense?"

Kalin lowers his hand. "No. Can you explain it any simpler?" He asks, closing his eyes and resting his head on his right hand.

Sylas rubs the stubble on his chin, clearly thinking. "I'm here to make sure you don't get killed. That's literally as simply as I can make it."