BiggerTheGroupBiggerTheTarget[continued from Three Blind Mice, See How They Run] Cole stood up, squinting, to get a better look. As the figures rose and started toward the balcony stairs, he smiled and waved, calling out, "Hi, Gillian! Who's your friend?" Gillian cringed at the loud noise. "Shhhhh!" she shot back, waving her arms for emphasis. She glanced back at Temnal apologetically. He just nodded, agreeing with her instinct for silence. He felt conspicuous enough as it was. At least Gillian seemed to know these other visible people. She quickened her step, wanting to reach the comfort and safety of a larger group. Temnal easily kept up with her. As they approached, the group in the front row were able to get a better look at him: a tall, slim figure with very dark skin, pale hair, and eyes that glinted gold. "This is Temnal," Gillian pronounced in a low voice, indicating the dark-skinned young man following her. "Temnal, this is Raina and Joao, and the tall one with the loud voice is Cole." "A pleasure," Raina replied automatically, though under the circumstances, it was probably anything but. She was a petite girl, with big green eyes and straight, dark hair. As the world continued to fade, she moved closer to the silent young man standing next to her, holding his hand for comfort. Outside the windows, the world appeared to fade into fog and shadow. No, that wasn't entirely true. It was more like the entire auditorium was falling through clouds. Staring too long at the windows gave the viewer an unsettling sense of vertigo. "What the...?" Gillian drew her gaze from the windows and reached out to Ginger through their link, worried for her familiar. As she reached out, she found her mouth fill with fish head grease. A wave of endless bliss clouded her mind, as if Ginger were stuck in a moment of pure ecstasy. No thoughts, just this singular emotion and taste sensation frozen in time. Gillian could almost feel the bones crunching between her teeth. Once they were close enough, Cole grinned and stuck out his hand for Temnal to shake. "Pleased to meet you," he said," even under these unusual circumstances. Not from around here, are you?" Temnal clasped the offered hand and confirmed, "No, I'm a transfer student from the Courts. Temnal nov'dy Chanicut." He looked around at the small group and added questioningly, "Miss Talbot said something about a ... 'Dark Hour'?" Raina regarded him, wide-eyed. "Yes, but it's not like this. It usually happens at midnight. But... it has to be related." She glanced around at everyone else. "Wh-what else would we have in common?" Joao moved to Raina’s side, remaining silent as the women – properly – took charge of the stressful situation. He leant his calm support to Raina as best he could. This composed focus helped him ignore the unnerving view outside. Replying to Raina's question, Cole said, "We're in this room, for one thing." He looked around. "Who else do we know that's Awakened? I know one other person, but I don't see him." "Awakened? That has connotations that it's a superior state. I'm not sure I agree with that," Gillian muttered, looking around nervously. "Who else?" "Um... I'm not sure if I'm supposed to say," she glanced back apologetically at Joao, "but under the circumstances, perhaps I should. Does anyone know Rusalka Cardovan? She's... like us." "I'm acquainted with her," Temnal volunteered, not sure what else he should say. "I know her as well," Gillian said. "Cole, who are you talking about? Rusalka's not a him." "Astute as always, Miss Talbot," Cole agreed. "And if 'Awakened' sounds too highbrow, then consider it some small compensation for having things trying to kill us that ignore everyone else. Besides, I didn't come up with it." He nodded at Joao. "I don't know Miss Cardovan. But there's a gent on my fencing team, name of Barimen, that also suffers our peculiar affliction." Temnal arched an eyebrow. "Barimen? Isn't that the royal family?" "Some distant relationship, maybe," Cole replied. "I haven't asked. None of my business." "I think the fact that he's experiencing this affliction as well makes it our business," Gillian replied softly, in an attempt to take the sting out of what could be construed as a snarky reply. She hugged herself. Raina nodded in full agreement. "Whatever our differences, they don't seem to matter now," she said, looking around at the bleakness nervously. "Has anyone seen Miss Cardovan or Mr. Barimen yet today? I wonder where they are and if they are experiencing this as well." "I haven't spotted Rusalka," said Temnal, "and she does stand out a bit." He said this in the matter-of-fact tone of one fully aware that he too tended to stand out in a crowd. As they spoke, each student became aware of a distant tap-tapping noise. It grew louder until finally the double doors to the auditorium swung open, the sound remarkable in the dismal silence. Two figures stood there, backlit by a vertigo-inducing nothingness of clouds and streaks of light. The first was a platinum blonde woman in a dignified blue dress suit, a leather tome tucked at her side. Even without her high heels, she stood as tall – if not taller – than Cole. She carried herself with a crisp professionalism; keen golden eyes studying the group. In complete opposition, the old man beside her hunched over a walking cane. He wore a tuxedo with a white handkerchief in his lapel pocket. Stark white hair ringed his otherwise balding head. Bat-winged eyebrows curled over his rounded, nearly iris-less eyes, twitching as if preparing to take flight. However, his most outstanding feature was his nose – more of a stabbing weapon than an anatomical structure. They slowly made their way toward the group, the old man’s cane tapping on the marble floor. “Eh! Er! Right! What’s all this then?!” he suddenly sputtered. Cole bowed and addressed the newcomers. "It's Prince Benedict's commencement address. At the moment, however, we're experiencing some audiovisual difficulties. May I be of assistance?" Gillian swallowed and took a step away from Cole. Temnal seemed more than happy to let Cole take the lead, while regarding the oddly assorted pair with intense curiosity. |
