Lucky to be alive {open}

[Candi Cane]

Cece couldn't express[/b] the relief she felt when she arrived in the building, with nothing but a suitcase with a few clothes, and other items that met her basic needs. She was dripping wet, her blonde hair clinging to her neck, her body soaked to the skin (literally) even though she was wearing a raincoat. She noticed some kids looking at her, and felt subconscious for only a few seconds until her confidence kicked back in. Why any moron would want to be in a library in the middle of a hurricane was beyond her. She pushed that last thought away--she was one of those morons in a library during the middle of a hurricane.

But, she was alive. She'd have to be happy with that, even though it wasn't much. After all, she'd a lot more at her home at Arizona with her mad-scientist father and half-brother. Besides, she'd have a ton more stuff if that stupid pilot had had enough sense to not land the dang plane while there was a friggin' hurricane. Well, technically, the plane had landed her on another island, a few hours before the storm, and she'd taken a boat to Shifter Academy. And then had gotten lost. And then had gotten caught in the beginnings of the hurricane. She shook her head to herself. She was overtired and stressed. Her brain was going overboard with stress, and she bit her lip hard to regain her cool. Think straight, think straight.

Well, that I'm here, I might as well look for a book...or somewhere to dry off...or something... Cece looked around. Up to then, she hadn't been paying much attention to anything besides the fact that she was, well, still alive. Not dead like those beds of pansys out there. She felt her jaw drop to the floor. In the midst of checking to make sure she was still in one piece, she hadn't noticed, well, how utterly gigantic this library was. Seriously, the people at this school must have been obsessed with reading or something, because the size of this place rivaled the Library of Congress.

Soaking wet, she walked warily through the ailes of books, which were so high they reached to the ceiling. She'd be stuck here until the storm ended. Cece might've been rash and reckless, but she wasn't stupid enough to go back into the storm just to get to her dorm room. Plus, being new here, she could not risk the chance of getting lost outside. No, she'd have to be happy here. Maybe the dorms were connected by underground tunnels or something...

(Cece hadn't been too thrilled about going to Shifter Academy. It had all been her half brother Walker's idea. He'd decided that he'd given her all training that he could, and she needed to move on. Walker had been more excited about this school. He was the one who did all the research, while Cece had done her usual Cece stuff--Walker probably knew the place better than she did, which was kind of ironic since she was the one who was practically gonna be living here.)

She clutched her violin case close to her chest when she shivered, but held her head high. She didn't know what happened in a hurricane (how would she? Not like Arizona got a lot of them) but she knew the water made her uncomfortable.

For the first time in her life, she wondered if she would die.

Cece pursed her lips, grimly. So, here she was, miserable, stuck in a whopping library for who knows how long, drenched completely through, and uncharacteristically wondering (and dreading) what could happen next.
[/font]

[Azure Rossi]

x

Azure slowed her pace as she came up to a large group of loud boys, pushing each other around. She gave them a wide berth, and ducked her head as she passed by. Don't notice me, don't notice me.

"Hey, you there!" called one of the boys, pointing at her. She flinched, and turned towards the group reluctantly. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Luckily, the guys didn't even seem to see this.

"Come over here and join us," offered one of the guys.

Azure closed her mouth and took several steps forward. "Yes?"

"Haven't seen you around before, what's your name?" said the boy. His black, unruly hair stuck up in all directions, as if he hadn't combed it in awhile. His dark eyes watched her carefully, making her feel uncomfortable.

"Uh," was all she could manage to say. Coming to the library was a bad idea. She knew this might happen.

"I'm only going to ask you one last time, boys, to quiet down," came a stern voice from behind her. The librarian glared down at the group, her hands placed on her hips. "I'll have to kick you out if you continue to disrupt the atmosphere."

"She talks funny," whispered one of the boys. The librarian cleared her throat.

"As I was saying, you don't want trouble." She gave a firm nod, then marched off. Azure looked back at the group of boys, then back at the retreating librarian.

"I, uh, I...have to go." Azure backed away, and despite the protests of the boys, ran. She only slowed down when she was on the other side of the library.

Several people gave her strange looks as she went by before returning to their books. Azure came to a stop only when she was in the safety of an aisle. She leaned against the shelf and closed her eyes, breathing deeply.

She heard someone coming down the aisle, and assuming it was one of the guys looking for her, straightened. To her surprise, it was not one of the boys. It was a girl, dragging along with her a heavy looking suitcase.

Azure, realizing she was staring at the newcomer, instead decided to look at the books. That was why she was here, anyways. But she couldn't help but wonder why that girl had a suitcase with her. It seemed rather odd. All the students would have left for summer by now. Perhaps she was new? Lost? She was tempted to ask, but shook the thought away as fast as it had come.

[Candi Cane]

Cece continued her mental ramblings as she stalked down the ailse. She ignored the puddles she left behind, even though she could feel people watching her. The loser with the bulky bag that was ruining the carpet and books. For all they knew, she her suitcase was full of books, like she was a nerd that couldn't get enough nerdy knowledge. Before, Cece would've been quite offended to look like a nerd. But ever since she'd seen one of the so-called nerds beat up the school bully (apparently, he'd studied martial arts...or something from some book), she'd gained a new respect for them.

Cece noticed a group of boys lounging around with messy hair and tacky sweaters. Looks like she hadn't been the only one caught outside at the wrong time. One of them called out to her with an expression that was creepy. His words slurred, and he and his buddies laughed and joked about something Cece didn't care to think about. Potheads, she accused them mentally but otherwise ignored them, refusing to pick a fight when she was feeling this miserable (even though she wanted to punch them really bad for even daring to talk to her while he was in such a state). She chose a different ailse to leave more puddles behind. She'd get them when she was dry.

Cece bumped into a librarian, who looked her over but didn't offer any help. Personally, she didn't want any help, being as naturally independent as she was. But she was still sort of insulted at the disapproving glance she'd earned from that lady. The librarian decided that the annoying boys proved to be a bigger problem than Puddle Girl, so she skadaddled off before Cece could say anything rude. Grumpy, Cece had to bite her tongue to keep herself from snapping some mean comment at the librarian. She felt irritable toward everyone. Even toward herself.

She stopped to compose herself. Seriously. Snapping at librarians was not nice. And planning to beat up a group of guys--when she was outnumbered and in her current state outmatched--was just stupid. She was new here. She couldn't go around causing trouble right now. What would Walker say? "C., just cool down. It really isn't as bad as it feels. Don't worry about it."

Right. Just stay calm and find a bathroom to change.

Suddenly, the creeping feeling that someone was watching her made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She whirled around, expecting to see one of those boys stalking her--or at least that's what she planned to do--but ended up knocking off some books from the nearest shelf and feeling like a total klutz. (She usually wasn't like this--honest!) Cece didn't know if she should've felt relieved or annoyed when she saw that it hadn't been a boy who'd been watching her, just a girl with light brown hair, quiet composure, and innocent eyes.

But she did know that, well, her patience just about snapped (since she had less than usual today...).

"Hey, you! Yeah, you. What are you looking at?" she said, heatedly. She didn't raise her voice, barely remembering that she was still in a library. Inside, Cece was screaming. The girl never did anything wrong! Ugh. Her temper always had to get the best of her, and she always had to apologize after. She exhaled loudly. "Nevermind. Forget I said that. I'm just...in a really, really bad mood right now." Had she just admitted that out loud? Mentally, she felt like slapping herself in the forehead (and would've too, if she hadn't been so burdened with stuff in such a narrow space). Ugh, she felt like such a pansy!

She grinned, ruefully. "Forget I said that, too." How much dumber could she feel? Instead of trying to say anything more to this girl, she lowered her eyes and concentrated on picking up the books she'd knocked off.

[Azure Rossi]

x

Azure's heart went into overdrive as the stranger's angry words hit her like a tidal wave. She shrunk back, but refused to look at the girl again. Who knows how she would react then? This girl was crazy, she was sure of it. She couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the girl when she explained that she was in a bad mood. However, that didn't mean Azure would dismiss her for acting so rude. It was obvious that this person wasn't the kind that liked to show weakness, or even act polite. Without a word, Azure bent down and helped the girl pick them back up. She set each book back carefully, making sure that each was in order.

Once she had set the last book in its place, Azure faced the newcomer. "You're new here, aren't you?" She spoke in a small voice, both because they were in a library and also because she hardly knew the girl. Her eyes traveled to the girl's belongings. "You play?" she asked, pointing to the violin case. Azure used to play an instrument, the piano. That was a long time ago, though. Azure hadn't played since she left her home. There was no way she could drag a piano halfway across the world.

"I can help you...if you want." The words tasted sour in her mouth, but she figured that it was the right thing to do. It looked like the girl had packed up everything she owned. The girl had blonde hair, and a pretty face. She could see the frustration on her face, masked by a smile.

"Everyone is on edge right now because of the storm that's brewing. Especially the librarians. We don't get hurricanes often. Actually, we never get them. None of our buildings are hurricane proof either. Stupid." Azure widened her eyes when she realized she was rambling, and returned to her book browsing. She pretended to be interested in a random book with a nice cover, and began to read the expert on the back of it. She frowned, then set the book back and picked up another one, waiting for the girl to leave.

[Candi Cane]

At first, the girl didn't say anything. Maybe she was struck speechless after Cece's bipolar-ish words. Then, Cece almost died when the stranger walked up to her and helped pick up the books.

"You're new here, huh?" the girl said, in the quietest voice. Cece hadn't come from a very quiet family--an understatement, of course. But, fighting the urge to say something sarcastic, she tried to be nice. This girl, after all, was trying to be nice. Might as well follow the trend.

She laughed, grimly. "Um, is it that obvious?" Okay, maybe the sarcasm wasn't completely gone. "Just got here a couple minutes ago. Then it started raining, hard. The wind was like crazy." She shrugged when she realized that she'd randomly started ranting all of her problems of the day to this stranger. Oh, well. Not like she had anyone else to complain to. "Stupid boat should've warned me. Anyway, I got lost. And wet."

Cece shoved the last book into the shelf. Naturally, the books she put away were all disorganized and messed up. The other girl's stuff was perfectly nice. Cece kind of wanted to ask her if she was some sort of librarian, but she decided it was too weird.

"You play?" the girl asked, pointing to the violin case. Oh, no, Cece thought. She didn't want that many people to know that she played the violin, of all instruments, especially not this girl. Her personality would've indicated that she played some sort of BA instrument, if any at all. Not a pansy-like violin. "Um...yeah, only a little bit though," she lied. Actually, she was a stellar violinist. Her only problem was that she didn't like sight reading. She could do it almost perfectly, but her inside--maybe her natural musical talent from her mom, or maybe her soul--always needed to change it, to make it better. When she'd been eleven, the orchestra had declined her entry because of it. And on top of that, her friends had made fun of her thanks to the instrument.

"I can help you...if you want." Alarms in Cece's head went off. Who did this girl think she was? "I don't need help. Yours or anyone else's." She hadn't meant her words to be mean, but they were certainly firm. Like it or not, she took pride in her playing. It was more than her passtime--it was like a major part of her life. A major, secret part of her life.

The girl must've been aware of her sensitivity toward the subject, because she changed topics. "Everyone is on edge right now because of the storm that's brewing. Especially the librarians. We don't get hurricanes often. Actually, we never get them. None of our buildings are hurricane proof either. Stupid." Cece mentally sighed. Why couldn't she have waited one short week? At least she wouldn't have been caught in the storm.

"I guess I just bring bad luck around with me." Cece laughed, sardonically. She gestured to her wetness--her clothes, her hair, her body. "And speaking of the storm..." she added pointedly. "I'll need to get to a bathroom. And dry off. And make sure nothing's ruined." She studied the girl's reaction. Pansy or not, for some reason, Cece liked this girl. Hey, anyone who had the courage to talk to her when she seriously felt like punching someone was considered at least okay in her book. "Thanks for helping me." She clamped her hand over her mouth, with an oops expression. Ugh, this girl's niceness was contageous.

[Azure Rossi]

x

Azure raised an eyebrow at the girl when she placed her hand over her mouth. It seemed that her assumptions were true. Azure could never understand how some people thought that being nice or polite was a bad thing. "I would tell you where the bathroom is, but I'm pretty sure you don't want any help with that either."

Azure brushed her hair off of her shoulder, looking over her shoulder in case one of those obnoxious boys should appear. One could never be too careful. It was because of events like this was Azure particularly glad she knew Martial Arts. She could hear their laughter in the background, as if their ring leader had just said something very amusing. Idiots. Sitting around thinking that they own the world, and have the right to do anything they wanted, annoyed her greatly. She couldn't understand how anyone could like them, acting like the jerks they are. To add to her annoyance, one of the boys whistled, most likely at a passing girl.

"Boys," scowled Azure. Her knuckles were white as she clutched the book she had just grabbed off the shelf. Azure forced herself to relax. She shook her head. "I hope that librarian kicks them out soon. They're making everyone uncomfortable.” She made a face. If only I was braver, thought Azure to herself. I'd tie their tongues in a knot.

“Well, in case you do want to know where the bathrooms are...they're past that group of loud idiots and to your left.” Azure waved her hand in the general direction she had pointed out. "My name is Azure, by the way." Her throat closed at this point. This was when usually people talked about what grade they were in, or what sports they played in. It was also when people usually told each other their shift, which was a bit of a problem for her. Having a snake as she shift made things a little difficult. Sadly, many shifters based one another off of what their shift was. Alligator and crocodile shifters weren't exactly known for having sweet personalties and good attitudes. And fuzzy white bunny shifters weren't usually aggressive.

"Um..." Azure's voice faltered. "I...I know how hard it can be. Coming to a new school that you really have no choice or want to go to. When I first came to Shifter's Academy I felt like my teeth were getting pulled. It isn't like that anymore, really. If I could have stayed with my family, I would have. Then again, I think that not knowing any other shifters my age might have been a problem. This is like a second home to many of us, especially those that don't have anywhere else to go. Shifter's Academy had become a second home for me, I know. I never thought I would say that at the time."

[Candi Cane]

"I would tell you where the bathroom is, but I'm pretty sure you don't want any help with that either." The girl's words hit home. Cece had wanted to keep her cool, but she hadn't wanted to come out as a total jerk, either. She felt like expressing that fact with colorful language so the girl would get her point. But, she decided that she'd only come out as more agressive. "I'll let that pass today. But if I wasn't in such bad shape, I'd take you down in less than a second." Whoa, Cece. Don't get too out of control. You don't hate her, remember. She was playing nice. Well, up to that last comment, at least. The girl probably had some words for what she'd said, but she was distracted by one of those guys, who made an annoying whistle to attract attention. The girl looked rather put off, so Cece didn't bother to tell her that the guy had made that whistle at her.

"Boys," she muttered. "I hope that librarian kicks them out soon. They're making everyone uncomfortable.” Whoa. Some attitude must've been under all of that calm and nice-girl act. Cece was liking her more and more, though she didn't express that since the other girl clearly hadn't taken a liking to her. She smirked. "Yeah. I hope she tosses them out into the hurricane. Then they wouldn't feel half as BA as they do now." The girl gave her a look. "What?" Cece raised her arms defensively. "You're the one who brought it up. Don't glare at me like that."

She shrugged, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Cece was jealous of her, well, dryness. “Well, in case you do want to know where the bathrooms are...they're past that group of loud idiots and to your left.” Her tone lightened up a little when she added "My name is Azure, by the way."

"You can call me Cece." She offered the girl her hand, but ended up knocking over her suitcase. She grimaced, when she expected the suitcase to knock into the bookshelf and produce a messy domino effect, and pursed her lips when they didn't. She thought that Azure would laugh at her awkwardness, but instead, the other girl looked at her with a kind, almost sympathizing, expression.

"Um..." Azure's voice faltered. "I...I know how hard it can be. Coming to a new school that you really have no choice or want to go to. When I first came to Shifter's Academy I felt like my teeth were getting pulled. It isn't like that anymore, really. If I could have stayed with my family, I would have. Then again, I think that not knowing any other shifters my age might have been a problem. This is like a second home to many of us, especially those that don't have anywhere else to go. Shifter's Academy had become a second home for me, I know. I never thought I would say that at the time."

Cece couldn't help but wonder if that was the most words Azure'd ever said in her entire life. But what she'd said touched her heart. She knew that Azure had shared that little bio with her to make her feel better, and, well like it or not, it did. Maybe she would find acceptance in this foreign world.

A shiver ran through her spine, and she remembered how cold she was. Goosebumps covered her skin, but she'd been ignoring them somehow while conversing with this stranger. "You know what? You're really, really weird." When Azure's expression hardened, Cece added hastily, "No! I meant that in the most respectful way possible." She grinned, hoping that a smile would help tell Azure that she was sincere. "Seriously. I think everyone misunderstands you. Because, well, you're weird. Different. They expect you to be, like, uh, you know... But they only think that because you're deep." She shook her head, realizing that her mouth was starting to run away again. She was glad that she said something deep and profound, instead of something mean and bitchy (which was, unfortunately, the usual). The spark in her eyes returned. (She'd actually gone all gentle and kind around this stranger. Eep, was she turning into a pansy?!) "Anyway. I'm gonna go now, since as nice as it is talking to you I kind of want to be not wet anymore. Oh, and thanks for not directing me to where the bathrooms are." She softened her eyes without realizing it again. "And for...understanding." She wished that Azure would slap her silly, for sounding like some blubbering idiot, but knew that she'd only get a look if she asked for it out loud.

Cece mentally braced herself and prepared to walk past that group of boys.

[Azure Rossi]

x

Sure you could, Azure though in response to Cece's threat. She was after all, a Martial Arts major. It wasn't like she didn't have the guts to defend herself and pull her own weight. She was usually kind, but when it came to her reputation Azure would defend herself. Actually, if Azure's disposition wasn't so forgiving, she would have been tempted to take that offer up. How dare that newbie talk to her in that manner? She should teach that girl where her place was. Cece might have been a princess wherever she lived before this, but Shifter's was no playground. This was the real world. It only went downhill from there as Cece went on to voice her own thoughts about Azure. But then she said something that completely took Azure off guard.

"Seriously. I think everyone misunderstands you. Because, well, you're weird. Different. They expect you to be, like, uh, you know... But they only think that because you're deep." .

Azure softened at Cece's speech, but she still felt slightly offended for being called weird. "You surprised me, Cece. But thank you, for those words. No one has ever told that to me before. Personally, I think everyone is weird in their own way. That's why we're unique. Some just stand out more then others." Azure felt uncomfortable talking about this, and so tried to move on to a different subject. "Your belongings are all wet. You sure did come at the wrong time." She paused. "I can go with you to the bathrooms if you want, and help you dry off. Those boys can be a bit of a pain."

She paused, noticing that Cece seemed to be acting a bit flustered. Well, more flustered then before. Azure could only guess that it was about her speech she made. "You don't have to be embarrassed whenever you show kindness or sympathy you know. It isn't like it's a bad thing. Everyone has a heart." Azure walked past Cece, then turned around when she didn't follow. "Are you coming or not? I thought you said you wanted to go to the bathroom to dry off. We should hurry. The librarian is in a bad mood at the moment, so I think she wouldn't exactly be delighted to see a student dragging mud all over the carpet. New student or not, no one is spared from the first floor librarian's wrath."

[Everard Gunter Wyatt]

Everard walked into the Library, he had been directed there by staff, and it was supposedly the safe place to go in the storm. Everard looked around to a group of boys making loud conversation in what was supposed to be a quiet place. Everard saw this as extremely disrespectful and his southern upbringing taught him to respect the rules. Everard walked over to the librarian a salt and pepper haired woman with glasses wearing denim cross between a dress and what the southerners called bibbies, or overalls, with a button up shirt under the bibbies. Everard trudged over to the woman, set his luggage on the ground and took off his hat sense he was in doors.”Ma’am, may I leave my luggage behind the counter so no one will bother with it? I would hate for my things to go missing” the woman smiled at his southern charm and gladly accepted his luggage, however Everard kept his guitar case. His black tank top was soaked through but it didn’t matter much to Everard. The ends of his jeans were muddy as well as his Wild Boar skin boots.

Everard shook his hat black cowboy hat off by the door and putt it with his luggage, showing fine blond hair over eyes as muddy as the Mississippi River. He walked up to the Group of boys, his great bulk and height towering over them, “’scuse me boys but I believe the lady asked you to quiet down, now hows bout yall just go in the corner to talk and keep yall’s voices down.” it wasn’t a question and the look in Everard’s eyes made that plane. The boys reluctantly retreated to a corner of the library to make their conversation. Everard turned and accidentally slammed right into a girl who was walking up the isle to where the boys had been, knocking her to the floor.

Being a Rugby player and 6 foot 4 inches and 250 pounds of rock hard muscle it was like a kitten slamming into a boulder. ”Aw shoot, I’m sorry miss. I didn’t see you.” Everard moved to help her up putting his guitar case on the floor, his giant hands helping pull her to her feet again. At First Everard moved to brush her off but decided against it picking up his guitar case nervously. He didn’t date much when he lived in Georgia, mostly he did school and Hog Hunting two activities that took up all of his time. ”Again I’m really sorry. I’m Everard, Giant Boar, and Wildlife Conservation Major, uh.” Everard remembered his manners and moved out of the girls way ”’scuse me miss”

[Candi Cane]

You don't have to be embarrassed whenever you show kindness or sympathy you know. It isn't like it's a bad thing. Everyone has a heart."

Cece shook her head. Her own personality was complex itself--first impressions were not her strengths. She hadn't wanted to come put as all cold and arrogant, but, well, clearly she had. She thought about explaining this to Azure, but decided against it. She would talk about it all when she knew her better.

Azure must've grown impatient at Cece's blank look because she said "Are you coming or not? I thought you said you wanted to go to the bathroom to dry off. We should hurry. The librarian is in a bad mood at the moment, so I think she wouldn't exactly be delighted to see a student dragging mud all over the carpet. New student or not, no one is spared from the first floor librarian's wrath."

Cece laughed, almost nearing hysterics. Yeah, as if a librarian's wrath scared her. Azure looked at her, obviously wondering if she was insane. Cece forced herself to stop laughing. "Uhm...sorry?" she murmured, not really knowing what else to say. "It's just that...a librarian's laugh...and...heh, heh."

Azure rolled her eyes.

Cece's awkward feeling returned. Gosh, this whole hurricane thing was definitely taking its toll on her. Azure turned around. As she did, Cece asked her what her animal shift was--after all, their whole point of being here was because of that.

She was about to reply, but she crashed head-on into a guy who'd been innocently walking in the ailse. Cece cried out in alarm, hoping that Azure was okay. At first, she thought that the guy was part of those annoying buttheads in front of the girl's bathroom, and thought that he might've been up to no good. She got ready to punch him if he got near her or started hurting Azure but then she realized that, well, this guy couldn't have been one of those dudes. Because he was wearing...a cowboy hat.

"Aw shoot, I’m sorry miss. I didn’t see you." From the guy's accent, he was clearly from somewhere near the southeast coast--Georgia, it sounded like. Cece smirked and said under her breath. "Well well. Look at what the cows dragged in." She was clearly amused toward the cowboy, but interest quietly peaked in. There was a wider variety at this school than she thought.

The boy continued, "Again I’m really sorry. I’m Everard, Giant Boar, and Wildlife Conservation Major, uh." Cece studied him closely, scrutinizing his every feature so she'd recognize him later if need be. (Not like she'd have to--the cowboy get-together was already defining enough.) Hm. Wildlife Conservation? What a pansy, she thought, arms crossed. Everard moved out of her and Azure's way. "'Scuse me, miss," he said, courteoulsly and a little shyly.

Cece spoke up. "There's more than one 'miss' here, you know," she said. She wished she hadn't spoken when she brought his attention to her.

She smiled. Didn't hurt to be nice to one new person she met today. Azure had seen her bad side for a while, and she didn't want anyone else to. "My name's Candi. But you're gonna call me Cece." She studied him again. "Where'd you come from, cowboy?"

She looked at Azure. "You okay?" She offered Azure a hand and helped her up. When she looked toward the restrooms, she noticed that those boys had left. "Hey, the coast is clear." She looked from Azure to Everard. From Everard to Azure. "You two can stay here and chat. I'll only be ten minutes. Don't worry about me." She grinned. "Not like any of us will be going anywhere for a while anyway."

[Azure Rossi]

x

Now, Cece was a good person and everything. She seemed like she could be a good friend and all.

But to abandon her like that? Azure panicked. What was she thinking? Take me with you! she wanted to scream. Of course, it was partially her fault. She should have mention her tiny fear of strangers. Then again, it wasn't like anything could happen...right? They were stranded in the middle of a hurricane. She couldn't tell this to Cece now, without seeming rude. So Azure said her goodbyes to her hopefully, new friend. Azure watched as Cece left, and began to bounce up and down on her heels. When she realized what she was doing, she stopped. You can't show him you're scared, Azure. Gotta be strong.

"Nice to meet you," she said hurriedly. Azure took in a deep breath, tring to calm down. "Um, that was my friend. Cece's a new student here at Shifter's Academy. She's had a bad day, but she's a great gal...I mean, girl. She's a great girl."

Come on, Azure! You can do better then this. You're a Martial Arts major, after all! There's nothing you need to be afraid about.

"I'm Azure Rossi. Martial Arts major." she shrugged, trying to act casual. Secretly, she was dying for Cece to return. Not like she needed her protection or anything, she could handle herself. She needed the morale support, though, and she felt more comfortable with someone else around. Although this guy looked like he could strangle her one-handedly. He didn't have to tell her that his shift wasn't a cute fuzzy taco bell dog. A Giant Boar? Of course. Why did Azure have to be hit by a guy whose shift was a Giant Boar?

I'm timing you, Cece. Azure forced a smile at the guy. What were the possibilities that Cece would even come back? After all, for all she knew that girl could hate Azure with a fiery passion and this was just one way to ditch her.

"A Giant Boar, huh? That's a good shift. It certainly fits." Azure balled her fists. If he tried anything funny, she'd be ready to defend herself. He didn't seem like that type of guy, but one could never be too sure. Besides, he could probably snap her arm in half without even trying.

[Alina Cedlov]

I hope no one is caught in that. Normally, Alina couldn't care less about other people. However, hearing the wind ceaselessly trying to tear the building apart left her uncharacteristically concerned for her fellow Shifters. Ven jogged down the hallway, aiming for the library. She had been directed to go there to wait out the hurricane. Probably because it had fewer, smaller, windows. She opted for the library over her own dorm room because, first of all they were in separate building and she did NOT want to go outside, and second of all because the library was massive. Ven had never been through a hurricane before and had no idea how long it would last, so she didn't want to be stuck in her oppressive room with nothing to do.

She ducked into the library, taking care to stomp her feet on the rubber mat outside. She was wearing plain walking shoes, but the treads tracked quite a bit of mud. Apart from the shoes her clothes were clean: a gray long-sleeved shirt with a black T-shirt over it, and dark blue jeans. A glance at the floor told her not many people had bothered with the same, simple courteous gesture. Trails of mud crisscrossed the floor, up and down the aisles. She rolled her eyes, judging all of the anonymous, inconsiderate people. Alina located the librarian easily. She was bustling about, clearly exasperated at being left in charge of all of these unruly teenagers. This was her territory after all. At least some shred of order had been maintained. It wasn't quite as loud as some of the other places, though the buzz of voices was a change from the norm.

As she proceeded further in a group of guys stalked past her, complaining about something. As they came closer she learned that it was not something but someone who had apparently banished them to the furthest corner of the library. Ven didn't exactly care, but she was curious as to what kind of person could tell a group of that number to get lost. One of the group looked up at her and made eye contact. Ven sized him up, judged him as a low life, and frowned. The guy smirked, but as he walked further away he was clearly having difficulty maintaining eye contact. Ven continued to watch their progress, smiling when the guy finally had to look away first. I win. One had to appreciate the little things.

A few aisles down Ven discovered the towering giant that the group must have been complaining about. He was talking to another student, who looked somewhat uncomfortable. Alina stopped again, watching the conversation from a distance. It's going to be hours before I can go outside. I'll be stuck here for a while, and I don't want to spend it all reading. Ven took one hesitant step towards the pair, giving herself a few more seconds to change her mind. After that her resolve hardened and she walked over in a rather business-like manner.

She reached them just in time to hear the tail end of their conversation. She waited a beat so as not to cut anyone off. Feeling awkward only for a moment, Ven said in a conspiratorial whisper, "Sorry to interrupt, but there's a group of guys who intend to put a hit out on you." She jerked her head towards the back of the library, then smiled. She doubted that this giant would be perturbed. Shyness had never been an issue with Alina. She possessed a quietly confident air at all times, even when she was feeling considerably less assured on the inside. She had worked for years to maintain the relaxed yet in-control exterior and now it had become second nature. She looked from one of them to the other, then proceeded to introduce herself in a hushed voice suited for the library. "I'm Ven, by the way." Her distinctive accent never failed to confuse people, even if only for a moment. Her Russian accent was very faint, but when it was mixed with the British it created something altogether original.

[Everard Gunter Wyatt]

Everard could believe it. Those little squirts would try and get him but trying would be all they were doing, actually taking on Everard would be like wrestling a Wild Boar bare handed and naked, they would be getting torn up. Everard’s temper sparked to life, his blond eyebrows coming together. ” Well that’s not very friendly of them is it? Well thanks for the warning miss, I appreciate it.” the only reason Everard could see anything was because he had his contacts in at the moment. He looked to the other side of the library at the boys, something he normally needed his glasses for. Thank the good lord for new technology. Everard gave them a menacing look and the boys visibly paled as Everard seemed to inflate his copious amounts of muscle flexing.

When Everard felt the boys were sufficiently rattled he went back to his conversation. ”pardon me for the show of force ladies but some things should be taken care of sooner than later, please excuse my li’ll display.” Everard indicated some chairs used to relax and read in and then to his guitar, ”Would you ladies like to sit with me while I play some music? Folks tell me I play a dead ringer for Little Big Town’s Boondocks.” Everard gave a big grin and picked up his Guitar case and walked calmly over to the two chairs and a small couch and sat in one of the big easy chairs.

Everard snapped open the clasps for the case and pulled out a Black acoustic guitar. He took a seat and put his Black Cowboy hat inside the case leaving it open. He pulled out his Boar Tusk Necklace from under his shirt and got adjusted to start playing holding the neck of the guitar with his left hand and pulling out a pick that fit his giant fingers. From where he was sitting his position showing off his Wild Boar tribal tattoo, as Everard strummed with his right hand. Everard tapped his feet keeping the beat and started singing, his deep voice letting loose how much he missed his home already, the lyrics singing about how his heart was always in the South.

The song was by Little Big Town and was one of the first songs he learned to play. The librarian came over but stopped when she saw it was the polite southern boy playing his guitar to take the other’s minds off the storm raging outside. People started to come over and sit around Everard, on piling onto the couch, sitting on the floor, some of them knew the song and sang with him. By the time the song was over there was a large group of people gathered around him, girls were eyeing him like predators on the hunt, which made Everard a little nervous knowing some of them were probably predatory shifts. ”Anyone has any requests? I really only know country songs.” someone, probably a girl, shouted Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy by Big and Rich, so with a wry smile Everard Started to play again.

[Candi Cane]

Cece pondered the happenings as she showered. (Why there was a shower in the library bathrooms she didn't know. But for the meantime she didn't bother to question that since she felt rather grateful for it.) She'd met Azure, someone who was weird enough to potentially be her friend. And some cowboy guy. She wondered who she'd meet next in this school. But the thought that nagged her the most was what Azure had said. The buildings of the school aren't hurricane proof. She couldn't help but ask if she would die here.

She grabbed some miraculously dry clothes from her suitcase, and slipped into them after she dried herself off with a towel. (When it came to packing, she usually wasn't prepared, but she was glad that Walker had helped her this time.) She brushed her hair so even though it was still wet it looked nice. Finally, she checked her instrument. She'd waited till the end because she had been afraid. What if it had fallen apart during the mad dash through the crazy wind and rain?

A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she saw that it was perfectly intact. A little wet looking, but it had survived. She picked it up and flipped it over. Water dripped out of it, gently washing away in the drain. She took her towel and carefully dried it, wiping away any brine that might've gotten in the instrument. She closed the case and strapped it onto her shoulder. She held on to the violin, since she didn't want it to get more wet. She wasn't sure how the glue holding it together would cope.

At first, she was reluctant to bring the violin out into public. But then she told herself, Better to be embarassed about having it than not having it at all.

Oh, no, she thought when she heard music as she went back to find Azure and Everard. Country music could only mean one thing--a cowboy was at his cowboyness. Sure enough, a crowd had formed around him. (And Cece had to admit--he was really, really good.) Azure sat next to some other girl that they must've run into along the way. By Azure's awkward expression, Cece figured that she didn't really know this girl. Seeing space between Azure and the other girl, Cece decided that her friends must've saved a spot for her. She left her luggage and violin case next to Everard and sat down in between the two, not really caring about all of the annoyed glares she recieved. She had a place on the couch. Everyone else was sitting on the floor.

She waited politely until Everard finished his song. She tuned her violin, and felt very satisfied when she saw that it worked perfectly.

Then, she smiled, her eyes sparking. If people were gonna know she played, then she was going to tell them that violins weren't just for pansies. "Think you can play, cowboy? Let's see you try keeping up to this tune." Cece grabbed her bow and allowed her fingers to fly.

[Azure Rossi]

x

Azure couldn't help but roll her eyes at this newly developing competition that had started up. On the plus side, at least people weren't focused on the hurricane-that-might-rip-you-to-shreds. The group of guys Everard had told off were one of the few that didn't come over to look at the scene. Most likely because Everard was getting the center of attention, instead of them. She could only hope they wouldn't be dumb enough to go over and try to start a fight. It would be interesting, she had to admit.

Everard. Why did that name sound familiar? Then it hit her. Wasn't that the guy she ran into at the cafe? She was almost 100 percent sure. After all, there weren't many cowboys around. Plus he did mention he played the guitar. And his major, which, coincidentally, matched up. Did he recognize her? He didn't seem to.

"They both play very well," Azure said to the girl, know as Ven. "I'm Azure, by the way. The girl playing the violin is Cece. We just met too." She listened to Everard and Cece play. It was relaxing. Azure, however, didn't much appreciate the growing crowd around her. She hated crowds. At least they had a good seat. The librarians didn't seem to protest about this musical gathering. Probably because they were either too tired and just gave up, or because they actually like the music. For the moment, the sound of the hurricane whipping around them faded into the background. It wouldn't be long till the hurricane began to grow more violent. Every so often Azure could hear the building groan against the violent winds that tested its force.

We're safe for now. Enjoy it while you can, Azure. she told herself. Take in the moment. The crowd clapped for the two players in appreciation. Azure couldn't help but wonder if more people would pull out their instruments as well and join Everard and Cece. She glanced over at Ven, to see what her reaction was, but then turned back to the players. Cece really did seem to be enjoying herself, as did the cowboy Everard. It was too bad that Azure couldn't' play herself, seeing that she couldn't haul a piano halfway across the world. Playing the piano was one of the things she loved, and her heart ached to touch its ivory keys once more. I can't wait to go home and see my family again.