{ some part of you just hates me } .open.

The dark-haired girl wandered aimlessly through the campus of Foresta Academy.  Even having only been here for a few days, she was already impressed at the spaciousness and expanse of the school.  Before seeing the grounds in person, Lacey would have never imagined that something like this, like a little piece of paradise to the Gifted people of the world, could be found on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.  

On her mini-adventure, she had come to the Rose Garden.  As the name might suggest, it was filled with roses.  Yellow, red, pink, white--every color of rose that existed was present.  In her bedroom in London, she had grown a rose with a stem slit into four sections, each section dipped into differently colored water to create a rainbow rose.  She'd had to leave it to find this school, but she hoped she could grow a whole bouquet of them again.  Although roses weren't among her top three favorite flowers--those were amaryllis, gladiolus, and lily flowers--they were still great subjects for drawing.  Of course, Lisette also felt an obligation to favor lisianthus flowers--the flowers she had been, in part, named for.  She had already seen quite a few of her favorite flowers in the garden.  Every so often, she paused to smell the flowers, some of which she had never seen before.  Although science was an interest of hers, she hadn't really studied botany very much.  

Upon walking for a few moments more, she discovered what seemed like the entrance to a hedge maze, framed by bursts of color provided by delicate lisanthus flowers.  For a second, Lacey experienced a moment of déjà vu.  Back in England, her ex-boyfriend Luke had often given her bouquets of her namesake flower.  As part of the cruelty he'd apparently felt the need to express upon breaking up with her, he'd shredded a bunch of lisanthus petals.  Now, whenever she saw them, she felt a mixture of happiness and sadness.  

Her natural curiosity got the best of her, and her lack of direction didn't stop her from stepping into the maze.  A few minutes in, she realized she was lost, eliciting a small groan from her.  Well, what do I do now? she wondered to herself, sitting and twirling a flower stem between her thumb and index finger.  I suppose I could fly... but that's no fun.  After another moment's consideration, Lacey got up and began to try and retrace her steps, thinking of the failed romance, and what might have been, but because of her powers, would never have happened.

( WORDS ) 646 ( TAGGED ) @liselle  ( MUSE ) here Felicity, too, had just recently transferred to Foresta. In retrospect, perhaps it wasn't the best idea to come here, seeing that she thought that her abilities would only serve a temporary purpose, but actually having some sort of challenge in her classes that wasn't solely academic had captured her interest. She'd managed to keep to herself up to this point, and the solitude was both welcomed and pestilent. With Felicity's back-and-forth relationship with socialization, she often found isolation to be a two-edged sword. Nonetheless, a day spent outside buried within the maze of the Rose Garden would surely offer some time for contemplation and reading, two things she never grew tired of. Adorned in a pair of navy-blue skinny jeans, a loose-fitting, translucent, white blouse and high-heeled, strapped sandals of sorts, she found herself comfortably enjoying the spring-like weather. As per usual for the albino girl, she was forced to take her lacy, white parasol with her while outside as well, keeping it over her incredibly pale bodice as if her life depended on it, and in some aspects, it did. Her appearance exuded sophistication and elegance, especially with her angular features framed by a tousled, platinum-blonde or nearly white braid cascading down her right to her ribcage. She'd adorned her face in mascara to make visible her eyelashes, as well as a bright, red lipstick that provided a beautiful contrast to her porcelain-like complexion. Seeing that the sun wasn't at its strongest point, she only wore her black-rimmed, reading glasses to outline her pinkish eyes, adding an air of intelligence to her just by the stereotype. With her parasol held carefully over herself and plenty of skin-care products lubricating her uncovered parts of her body with an invisible sheen, she let her mind get lost in Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, a book she'd read countless times yet still indulged in the thrills it brought. Felicity, left to her own devices, had remained undisturbed, with only the gentle sounds of chirping birds or buzzing insects daring to permeate through the air. She had also succeeded in memorizing her pathway through the maze, so that she could ensure a safe trip to exit once she'd contented herself with how much reading she wanted to accomplish. A groan emitted from somewhere within the maze, causing the girl's head to perk up and out of her book. There was nothing she despised more than being interrupted without warranting said interruption. No words issued from her lips until she spotted a young woman enter into the clearing-type area that Fel had been sitting in. She sighed, closing her books and letting her glasses slide to the bottom of her nose to fixate her eerie, pink eyes upon the newcomer. "Well, if you're going hang around here for the sake of finding your way out," she said, placing a black bookmark in her novel as her English accent became more prevalent, "I'd suggest that you don't cock up and forget to write down your route to arriving here, but we cannot alter the past. I'm not in a nark, so I suppose getting you out of here wouldn't be completely out of the question, especially if it means resuming my peace and quiet." A smirk elated her features as she tossed in random, British slang, seeming to adore the shocked look on others' faces from her odd way of speaking. She refrained from standing, just in case the girl reacted negatively, as she expected her to, to the passive-aggressive words coming from Felicity. Even now, she adhered strictly to the belief that people were destined to dislike her, and wanted to lash out before they did. Briefly rubbing her red lips together, she awaited an answer from the stranger as she placed her glasses into a soft, brown case and into a small handbag at her side. Second chances they don't ever matter

MADE BY VEL OF GS

#6ba0dd
Trying to recall her path, the girl made numerous wrong turns, encountered more than a few dead ends, and ended up where she'd started quite a few times.  With every step, the charms on her necklace jangled, like a taunt at her own stupidity in being boneheadedly stubborn in her refusal to use her powers.  Despite never have been claustrophobic in her life, a little sliver of hatred for these tight walls of greenery began to work its way into her.

Just as Lacey was beginning to feel hopeless and frustrated at the sense of directionlessness she was feeling, the sound of footsteps reached her.  A girl carrying a parasol almost as white as her skin walked up to her, book in hand, looking somewhat miffed.  Although her new companion was paler than most, she had been alone for so long, looking for this school, that she'd forgotten how light-skinned some people were.  Since her power had manifested, some sort of sunburn resistance seemed to have developed in her.  Previously one who used to burn easily, she could now spend hours in the sun and only tan.  Perhaps it was because animals didn't sunburn.  It wasn't anything special, it was just convenient, considering her taste for the outdoors.

The dark-haired girl seemed to be the complete opposite of the other--at least, appearance-wise.  As if her ghostly appearance wasn't surprising enough, once she opened her mouth to speak, Lisette realized that she was British.  It was strange, yet comforting, to hear the sounds of home.  Of course, to the Americans that seemed to be all over the school, British accents--which, to Brits, was just normal speech--were foreign and exciting.  The girl's speech was peppered with excessive slang (more than most people she knew used), as if she were making an effort to show her nationality.  That didn't quite make sense, though, given that anyone would have guessed her nationality once they heard her speak.  

Somewhat narked herself by the other girl's condescending words and smirk, Lacey answered, hand on hip, "Although you seem to think so, I am not a dimwit.  I would have made some record of my path, but I currently do not have any paper, and my memory is pretty dodgy."   Normally not so outspoken with strangers, anger and annoyance brought out her sharp tongue.  A pinch of jealousy at the other's outfit, so smart and well put together compared to her own jean jacket, ripped skinny jeans, and black cami, also fueled her temper.  No one liked to feel undermined by someone's appearance.

Considering the book in her hand, Lisette wondered if that was not perhaps the reason for the girl's strange attitude--somewhere between annoyed and amused.  Maybe, if she put a little effort into socialization, she would find a like-minded person and friend.  After all, she herself was a bookworm, with a bit of a cheekiness.

( WORDS ) 355 ( TAGGED ) @lisette  ( MUSE ) here It seemed as though the girl was from Felicity's own country, and though this was a bit disappointing, it relieved her of the burden to have to continue to toss in the senseless slang. "I never said you were a dimwit, people are bound to make mistakes," she replied in an only slightly agitated tone as she surveyed the young woman, "Even without memory, surely there are other means to finding a way out, yes? For example, using the general direction of the winds fluctuating between the walls of the maze, you can estimate where Foresta is located, for it's directly east to us. And, feeling your way along its sides, both of these factors can be combined to offer an intuitive method for escape." Now without a purpose to use the English terms, she spoke factually, taking out her glasses once more and pushing them onto the bridge of her nose, "It's a shame that we seem to herald from the same country, I was hoping to confuse the shite out of some Americans." As if she wasn't even engaged in the conversation at all, Felicity returned to her book, peering up at the stranger every now and then to at least give her the impression that she was giving her some sort of attention. "If you're still keen on leaving, go out the way you came, take a right, continue four feet, another left, a right, move to the right side of that and make a couple more lefts, and then the exit should be on the final right," she murmured, carefully adjusting her parasol to ensure that it'd remain over her as she read her novel. Connecting her eyes with the other girl's, she wondered if she would attempt to either verify this or challenge her in some manner, and even though her strength wasn't at its highest, she wouldn't mind giving her a slight jolt to the head if she became aggressive. Felicity exhaled slowly, continuing on after she flipped one of the pages at an alarming speed for her reading, "And, in case you were wondering, I'm not a vampire." Second chances they don't ever matter

MADE BY VEL OF GS

#6ba0dd
Outfit

A disappointed expression showed on her companion's features, which puzzled Lacey.  She then spoke again, in a somewhat irked tone, explaining how it was easily possible to figure out the way to the exit of the maze.  Never one to apologize quickly, the black-haired girl said, a little tightly (but without any real anger), "I haven't been here for more than a few days, and I haven't been able to get my hands on a map of the island yet."

A moment later, the girl's earlier expression was explained when she said that she'd been hoping to confuse clueless Americans with British slang.  "Ah, that must be quite satisfying," Lacey said, arching an eyebrow.  Indeed, it was amusing when those unfamiliar with the intricacies of British speech tried to understand a Brit.

She would have blown a fuse when the girl resumed her reading if not for the occasional glances that were sent her way, showing that she was not being completely ignored.  As she watched the girl's eyes dart back and forth, absorbing the words off the page, she spoke again, explaining exactly how to get out of this place.

"Well, now that I know the way out, I think I'll see if this maze is hiding anything," Lacey answered, aware that she was about to rant.  "And I was not wondering if you were a vampire.  Any reasonably intelligent person would know that vampires have a much greater intolerance to the sun than you're exhibiting.  But considering your automatic statement of that, you must get a lot of dimwits asking if you're a vampire."

A moment passed in silence.  "So far, you're the only Brit I've seen around here.  Are there any others?"  Hopefully there were; it'd be a complete pain to have to attend a school with only Americans who didn't understand her way of speaking.

( WORDS ) 457 ( TAGGED ) @lisette  ( MUSE ) here A smug smirk twisted Felicity's red lips at the other girl's words. It had been nearly years since she utilized the aid of a map when navigating through mazes such as these, but then again, her parents had rarely permitted her to wander too far from The Spire. Shaking off the darker thoughts, she responded in a matter-of-fact tone, "I haven't been here much longer than you, but I suppose our minds work differently." She left the words up to interpretation, since she chose not to openly insult and degrade others as a line she would never cross. Still, her pride prevented her from doing anything but attaching a negative connotation to her words. Ordinarily, Felicity wouldn't have been so quick to leap into a social situation like this, apparent by her lack of cooperative skills, but she wanted to continue drawing a conclusion as to what the average student at Foresta would seem like. So far, her search hadn't yielded any substantial results, and usually was a mentally draining task to say the least. "It is," she responded with a sigh, seeming to be a bit more focused on her novel as she uttered the statement, "Try it sometime, you might elicit some amusing reactions." She didn't mind encouraging something that could be perceived negatively, especially if it meant being able to leave some Americans flabbergasted. Hopefully she'd be present to witness the results of her advice, if the other girl took it. At her next words, though, Fel was mildly surprised. She'd honestly expected her to along with the gag that she was a vampire, or at least have chided her for her pale appearance, but nothing of the sort emitted from her lips. "I've found Americans to be a bunch of mugs, they're a gullible breed, so I'm relieved to hear that you haven't mistaken me for those wretched creatures," she answered with an actual sense of genuine gratitude in her tone, but it was laced with a constant, almost condescending air to her voice. Her pinkish eyes continued to scan the younger girl as she asked about if others had come from their same country. "I've met one other boy," she breathed, then continued on in a seemingly challenging voice, "But does it look as if I'm a sociable person? You're the second person I've had a conversation longer than a few seconds here, so no, I haven't drawn a liable conclusion on the statistics of Foresta student body's nationalities." Another page flipped quietly as she surveyed the page with her oddly-colored eyes, continuing on in a marginally professional tone, "What dorm do you belong to? I haven't seen you in Sapphire, but I assumed that you weren't a member of said dorm." Second chances they don't ever matter

MADE BY VEL OF GS

#6ba0dd
Outfit

Upon Lisette's comment of not having a map, the other girl's mouth twisted into a smirk.  She was really starting to get on her nerves, with her subtle arrogance.  The only sign of this was her slightly darkened gaze.  Otherwise, her expression didn't change.  "Well, of course, no two people are exactly the same.  Otherwise, there would be no such word as 'individuality'," she tossed back, regarding the pale girl levelly.  Although she herself would admit to often insulting others, whether accidentally or on purpose, Lacey was definitely not one to accept an insult--or at least what seemed like one--without rebuke.

The girl considered following the advice she had been given--trying to confuse Americans and other non-Brits with British slang.  It sounded fun, and she was never one to turn down entertainment, even at the expense of others.  It wasn't like anyone would be hurt by it; you can't be insulted by something if you don't know what it means.  "Sounds agreeable.  Harmless fun," Lacey said, lifting a corner of her mouth.

She also said that she hadn't though she was a vampire, and that any reasonably intelligent person could see so.  However, the latter's expression was strangely surprised, if only a little bit, expressing her gratitude and relief at this, speaking of how naive Americans could be.  Lisette wondered if there were many other Brits out here, and expressed this verbally.  She was told that the other girl only knew of one, asking if it seemed like she was particularly social.  "Great, we can have a Brit party,"  she said sarcastically, with a touch of humour, rolling her eyes.  "How would I know about your social tendencies?  You're talking to me, aren't you?" Lacey pointed out, not intending to be rude, merely stating a fact.  

The girl seemed immersed in her book, but she still managed to multitask and ask what dorm Lisette belonged to.  "I'm in Emerald dorm," she said, "but by your question, I assume you're in Sapphire.  What book are you reading?"  She was always looking for new books to devour, considering her 'ability' to finish a book in a day, or less, if she had the time.  Whenever someone inquired as to what her favourite book was, they never expected her to list entire series.  With the amount of books she'd read, it was impossible for her to favour just one.  It was also a challenge just to remember all the books, much less summarize them all.

( WORDS ) 425 ( TAGGED ) @lisette  ( MUSE ) here It amused Felicity how easily this girl was agitated, for it greatly resembled her own demeanor. Funny how she could view herself through someone else, and despite feeling a bit odd, she was intrigued by this fact. "That would be a pretty blunt world, wouldn't it?" she mused idly, seeming to glance further at her book while flipping another page at a frightening speed. Fel knew that she shouldn't have expected others to back down from her subtle, passive-aggressive statements, but perhaps she was just too accustomed to the submissive and reserved nature of her parents. Any other 'friends' she'd once had never seemed keen on keeping in contact with her once she began attending Foresta. Oddly enough, the other girl also seemed to oblige to using British slang in an attempt to confuse those who aren't native to the country. She was pleased with this, seeing that she could really have many more opportunities to fool with others now, but just nodded to acknowledge her statement. Even if she didn't end up using the method each time she met an American or anyone else, the idea was still planted in her mind, and that was all Felicity truly required. "I was assuming that you'd be able to infer my lack of social experience based off of my tone and words," she replied without skipping a beat, now focusing her pinkish eyes upon the student rather than the novel, "And if it wasn't for you getting lost, I wouldn't have spoken in the first place, but surely you weren't aware of this fact." Only the second half of her statement was genuine and tranquil, for the rest of it was saturated with a somewhat irritated edge, and that was something she simply couldn't eliminate. Perhaps talking to others like this just wasn't the best idea, and this mantra continued to play in her mind as she returned her attentions to an unequal division between Lisette and the book. It was only when she inquired what book she was reading and if she was in Sapphire, she chose to offer a reply, "Yes, I'm in the Sapphire dormitory. And this is Murder On the Orient Express by Agatha Christie.. I haven't picked it back up in quite some time, but it still feels fresh in my brain, so I'm not as enthralled by the murder mystery aspect anymore." She peered up at the other girl, letting her glasses slide down to the tip of her nose as she ventured, "I'm assuming you haven't read it before?" Second chances they don't ever matter

MADE BY VEL OF GS

#6ba0dd
Outfit

Lisette ignored the girl's comment about how blunt the world would be if everyone was identical.  Feeling the urge to move, she crossed her arms, not out of irritation, but out of boredom and her ADHD.  She shifted her weight to her other foot and tossed her hair behind her shoulder, letting out a breath and wishing there were benches in the maze.

When the dark-haired girl pointed out that she wouldn't know whether or not the other girl was social, she replied that she'd thought Lacey could infer from her current words and tone.  I'm a shapeshifter, not a mind-reader, she thought.  But indeed, the albino girl's tone had been somewhere on the edge of irritable.

She also said that she belonged to Sapphire dorm and gave the title of the book she was reading, adding that on rereading, some of the suspense and mystery was lost, which she understood.  "No, I have yet to read that book.  Does the school have a library?" Lisette said.  "Also, if we are to continue our conversation, I'd like to ask, what's your name?  And your power?"  She assumed that this girl had some sort of power, given that she was a student and that Foresta Academy was a school for Gifted people.  But she did wonder, had there ever been non-Gifteds at Foresta?  That would be curious indeed.

(OOC: Sorry about the short post...)

( WORDS ) 438 ( TAGGED ) @lisette  ( MUSE ) here It hadn't gone by unnoticed by Felicity that the girl before her was increasingly shifty. She might've made some sort of snappy remark about her having to use the loo, but even she wouldn't stoop that low. It just seemed dirty and childish to even consider poking fun at someone's bladder, if that were to be the case, and it could be even more embarrassing if that wasn't the case. Dismissing the thought altogether, the young woman continued to survey Lisette with a look of pure indifference and an almost condescending manner about her. It wasn't hard to guess that she was displeased with this snobbish type of air surrounding them, but if she was searching for a fight, Fel wouldn't be the first to back down. It seemed as though this girl really must've been new, if she thought that there wasn't a library here. A school for the supernatural and renown for its effectiveness and prestige, not having a library? Preposterous. "Rest assured, there's a library," she answered in that authoritative-like tone, "They'd have to have gone barmy not to have one." A small smile elated her features for a fleeting moment, before resuming its natural, frowning-like state. There was no need to smirk over something so insignificant, and she had no desire to let anyone view her being so blithe in a social situation. Nobody was supposed to like her, and that was final as she responded, "It's a fairly popular book, so I'm positive that the library should carry a few copies of it." She was a bit surprised, though, when Lisette asked blatantly for her name and ability. And here she was, thinking that she was the only one who dared to openly inquire such personal information... Perhaps the concept of asking such things wasn't as far-fetched as some people believed. Nonetheless, Felicity chose to be hypocritical on her own accord, murmuring with a sly shake of her head, "Didn't anyone ever teach you any manners? Some people can be quite sensitive about their powers, and you certainly could've worded it in a less severe manner." She then cleared her throat, rising up to face the student with an almost challenging glint in her eyes, "I'm Felicity Crusoe, if you must know. And, though I doubt you'd understand or have an idea of what this is, I'm capable of creating psionic blasts with my mind. I don't think you'll want a demonstration of it, though, since I've told you mine, what's yours? And knowing your name would be appreciated as well." Now, she turned the tables, justifying her own inquisition with Lisette's question. Second chances they don't ever matter

MADE BY VEL OF GS

#6ba0dd
Outfit

With every word and every breath that passed, Lisette's dislike of this girl deepened.  Just the way she told her that the school would be crazy not to have a library seemed snobby and aloof.  Whatever.  Obviously, Lacey had already given up her idea of becoming friends with her.  "Alright.  I'll make time to go check the book out one of these days," she said.

The first thing the pale girl said when Lisette asked for her name and power was a question about if she'd ever been taught any manners.  She rolled her eyes and sighed.  Of course she had, but that didn't mean she had to use them.

"What's the point of being sensitive?  This is a school for Gifteds," she remarked.  So, the girl's name was Felicity, and she could create psionic blasts.  That sounded familiar from some book, but Lacey couldn't quite recall which.

"My name is Lisette Hayes.  And my power--" she suddenly thought to look at the watch she'd bother to wear today, considering her plans.  "Oh, bollocks.  I have to go meet with the headmistress about a power-training class.  Well, you'll figure out my power soon enough."  Because she was tight on time, the black-haired girl began to change form into a falcon.  Soon, her skin was covered with feathers, and she was bird size.  Pushing off the ground, she flapped her wings and soared away with something of a screech of farewell.

(OOC: Um, I guess, I DECLARE THIS THREAD COMPLETE! ... ?)