I still remember how it all changed

Casper Andreadis Words: 518 Muse

Casper sat on the edge of one of the chairs placed along the edge of the psychiatrist's waiting room.  He had been called in for an appointment--quite pointlessly, if you asked him.  Did they really expect him to spill his guts to a random doctor just because he was asked to?  Well, it wasn't going to happen.  The headmistress had told him that when he'd arrived at Foresta, someone had left a message saying that he needed therapy, and he knew exactly who had done so.  Hades, or one of his minions.  He groaned inside his head, rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand. Weren't there other, more messed-up students than him?  Well, maybe not.  But he didn't need the help getting through his situation.  Most people got through the death of loved ones without counseling.  Why couldn't he?  Good gods.  And for his imprisonment?  That was just physical.  The only thing he really needed from a medical professional was to get this taste for blood out of him.  Casper bit his tongue hard, squeezing his eyes shut to avoid the swimming of his vision he knew would happen.   Eventually, the nausea disappeared.  When he opened his eyes again, his nails were digging into his palms and there was blood in his mouth.  Grimacing, he grabbed a tissue from the table beside him and spit the coppery liquid into it.  Luckily, there was a water dispenser in the room, with which he filled a cup, and rinsed out his mouth, disgusted at himself.  Angrily, he crunched on a peppermint candy he'd popped in his mouth, finishing it in seconds.  What kind of a human being craved blood?  What kind of twisted existence was that?  He'd become some sort of vampiric creature whose taste was only sated through pain.  His entire body was a twisted monument to tragedy and human cruelty.  The scar on his chest, a scorch that had sealed fire inside him.  The latticework of scars on his back, a masterpiece painted by a hot metal rod.  The tattoos across the back of his shoulders, two Latin phrases that had become his mantra.  And even now, his deep blue eyes were filled with anger and pain. Natura non contristatur.  Nature is not saddened.  Indeed, it was not. Within the span of a second, his whole life as he'd known it had ended.  Through the entire mess his life had become, not a single human being had cared.  He'd become a science experiment all because of the same thing those experiments had made him crave--blood.  The blood that held so much power, the blood that flowed through his veins.  The only reason for all the torture he'd undergone.  And why him?  Was it selfish or heroic to wish that Katerina and Sebastian had been the ones to survive, despite such torture, and for him to have died in the car crash?  And there was, of course, the second line that completed his mantra.  Nil igitur mors est ad nos.  Death, therefore, is nothing to us.

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( WORDS ) 728 ( TAGGED ) @casper  ( MUSE ) here Well, this was inevitable. In the past, Chase's father hadn't been sympathetic enough to suggest counseling for the young man, and it wasn't as if he intended on paying for something like that. He wouldn't be surprised if his father considered him as a lost cause at this point, really, so being summoned for an appointment with this.. Psychiatrist would surely prove to be an interesting experience. It had only been through prodding and coaxing from Esha that he was even able to release some of his emotions, and that was when the beast was half-provoked within his system. And, after all of the transformations he'd undergone since attending Foresta, it only seemed natural that the headmistress would want to ensure that his mental state was stable. Seated rigidly upon one of the chairs in the waiting room, the boy was feeling apprehensive. If the doctor attempted to pry too far into his past or too powerfully for his liking, there was a large possibility that he could shift into his unsavory form without too much warning. Then what? Would they toss him out of the academy, claiming that he was a threat to the other students? The thought perturbed him now, causing him to feel over his temples in vexation. If he could just get a better grip on his bestial form, then maybe if he did end up transforming, at least he wouldn't have that raw lust for flesh and blood. Then, just maybe, his ability could be a positive element in his life.. Perhaps one of the very few. His mind began to wander as he stared directly into the wall across from him, not even glancing at the other boy seated nearby. He didn't want to tempt the beast in his vulnerable state.. No, he needed a blank slot in his mind. This might be his one and only chance to maintain a tolerable status in this school, and if he didn't have Foresta... Well, he would be returning home to a life he'd much rather forget. Thankfully, his eighteenth birthday would give him the opportunity to move out, but securing a job or actually making a living was quite a challenge for him. At least here, transforming didn't mean being alienated by everyone. Certainly, there had to be other students that had similar or worse circumstances than he did, so a rabid beast wasn't taken nearly as dearly as it would've around non-Gifted people. Chase was just about to comfortably shift his position to a more desirable one when the unmistakable scent of blood filled his nostrils. Without his permission, his body tensed up, and he could feel is knotted muscles squirm beneath his skin as his pupils dilated like a deer in headlights. The young man's head snapped towards the other male, inhaling deeply and exhaling the salty yet beautiful scent of the life-giving fluid. For a moment, he felt as though he could actually taste the warm, sticky substance on his tongue as he stared determinedly at the student, his gaze only broken as he glanced at the floor. It was a toxic situation if he was around blood. "If you're ill," Chase began, clutching his hands together as he felt his canines habitually slide forwards from their confined positions, "The nurse's office is located not too far from here." This was the least he could do, and though it might've been polite to offer up himself to guide him to said location, he didn't want to risk transforming and doing something he'd regret. No, it was best to avoid things like that. But, he at least had to make an effort to remove the blood from the room, or else the young man would be all the worse when entering the psychiatrist's office. Even without it being distinctly present, his heightened sense of smell permitted Chase to perpetually breathe in the metallic scent of blood in an incessant manner, and if any more of it was spilled, he might actually be dealing with a potentially lethal situation. Would he be penalized for walking out of the waiting room before seeing the psychiatrist because he was trying to avoid a transformation? If this was the case, that was perhaps more frightening than having to undergo the painful process itself. The last thing Chase Thorne needed was explusion from a Gifted's academy. AM I DIFFERENT FROM THE REST

MADE BY VEL OF GS

Casper Andreadis Words: 476 Muse

Thankfully, the sharp, fresh taste of the candy replaced the coppery tang of blood quickly. He'd gotten into the habit of biting his tongue so much there was a permanent cut of sorts on the tip of the flesh. It bled easily, a quick relief for the craving for blood he'd been cursed with.  Wasn't a year of torture enough? Apparently not. He might as well have just become a vampire or something. At least then it would have been natural to crave the liquid. Casper jerked his head up at the sound of another person's voice. Wrapped up in his self-pity, complaints, and wishes for a different life, he hadn't even noticed the presence of the boy. Perhaps he'd just come in--it wasn't as if he would have noticed the door opening. The other male seemed tense. An aversion to blood, maybe? "I'm not ill," he answered, voice tight and strained. "But thanks for your concern." Not really.  He would have preferred if no one had noticed; it would only draw questions and disgust.  As had already been demonstrated through the other boy's posture. At least maybe he wouldn't have to actually endure the appointment, if the other took long enough. Hopefully he had already been slotted as the second appointment, or he could pretend to be generous and 'allow' the other patient to go first. Patient? More like prisoner. Of a slighter degree.  See? he thought, mentally arguing with the headmistress. There's other people who need the counseling more than I do.  Give them my appointment, 'cause I sure as hell don't want it. After having his thoughts as his only--though nowhere near faithful--companions for so long, it was almost unusual to have--well, start--a real conversation with someone who didn't seem to mean him physical or mental harm.  Then again, it was possible he had been sent by those... quote unquote scientists to bring Cas back to them. He didn't exactly consider Foresta Academy to be the safest place around, even with the forest that was supposed to keep diseases out, and their acceptance of people with gifts. Any one of these students or staff could be working on the inside for some evil corporation. With what he'd gone through, it wasn't the most far-fetched idea ever.  He didn't feel like it was a place he could find complete acceptance, either. Whether or not they were fine with his powers, Casper was quite sure no one wanted to befriend or be around someone who craved the taste of blood. After all, it wasn't exactly a normal problem to have to deal with. "You must have a good sense of smell." His comment was more of an assumption than a stated question; he didn't think the redness would have been visible from across the room.

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( WORDS ) 506 ( TAGGED ) @casper  ( MUSE ) here The boy spoke in a subdued manner similar to Chase's own tone, but his explanation wasn't all that settling. So, he was bleeding somewhere, and yet he refused to seek medical help? This wasn't the first time he witnessed this tactic, but that didn't lower the toxicity levels of the situation. Sadly, Chase didn't really have the emotional capacity to actually have been concerned about the well-being of this random student, even if he might've been injured, but his mind was wired to respond politely and in a strictly professional voice, "Of course." It was almost mechanical, the way he interacted with others, but seeing the equally lax amount of emotion on the opposite end, this was to be expected. Shifting uncomfortably in his chair, the male was forced to dig his nails into his palms for a moment, trying to quell his trembling body. He probably would appear mentally disturbed to anyone viewing him on the outside, but there wasn't anything he could do. If he was already in the waiting room to see a psychiatrist, then people might have already concluded that there was something wrong with him. In an attempt to calm himself down, Chase focused on the other boy for a few moments. He was definitely still bleeding somewhere, but he wasn't able to really tell where. The scent of fresh and stale blood was a distinguishable trait to the young man, and it'd been learned over time of constantly being surrounded by the tempting substance. The student's comment on his sense of smell had Chase continuing to squirm, wondering briefly if he had some sort of psychic ability that permitted him to either know someone's abilities or see into their thoughts without physically showing it, and perhaps he was eluding to the fact that he knew what Chase was. ".. Yes," he answered shortly, combing his fingers through his tousled, short brown hair. And vision and hearing, he added mentally, now having the feeling that the other boy either might've 'heard' or known this on account of his own ability. These thoughts were short-lived, though, for even though it wasn't incredibly evident anymore, even having exposed blood in the room was bringing a great deal of stress upon the boy. For a few moments, he was even able to hone in on the subtle heartbeat of the male, which caused him to shake himself out of the intoxicating rhythm of it. Speaking lowly, he decided to do something completely out of his comfort zone in an attempt to try and both distract himself and perhaps persuade the boy to leave, "Did you schedule your appointment on your own terms?" It was a trivial piece of information to know if he'd been sent here or came for his own reasons, but it was enough to prevent Chase from lunging at his jugular. By this point, he was already putting on a somewhat fanged appearance, and his body trembled just a bit too much for his liking. Blood did terrible, terrible things to him. AM I DIFFERENT FROM THE REST

MADE BY VEL OF GS

Casper Andreadis Words: 335 Muse

The boy's tone of voice in answering Casper was nothing more than he'd expected. He didn't bother to return the pointless pleasantries any further. After all, they were just that--pointless.  The laceration on his tongue was still bleeding to a slight degree, now overpowering the taste of the candy he had just eaten. He grimaced, hating the unpleasant taste. At least it was his own blood, and not someone else's. Grabbing another tissue, he spit out the liquid and threw the mess into the trash. Disgusting, he thought, swiping the back of his hand across his mouth. Cas met the other boy's gaze in an almost challenging manner, as if daring him to say something about the fact that he was spitting out blood. A question concerning that particular topic would be quite inconvenient, however, considering the fact that he had no good explanation for why he was doing so since his refusal to see a doctor eliminated the excuse of an illness. Even if he had gone to the nurse, the only purpose would be to have an excuse for the blood, since he doubted anyone could help him with the real problem, unless they'd invented a time-traveling device. Which, to say the least, was highly unlikely. So, Casper's assumption had been correct, then. Then again, how else would the boy have known he was bleeding?  He snorted in response to the question. "No, of course not. Are you?" Although neither Hades, Nyx, Erebus, or the headmistress were here to impose their will upon him, if he chose to skip this session, they would find out soon enough and one way or another make him do it either way. Plus, ignoring the wishes of a god of death and the Underworld isn't exactly the best idea. Unless, of course, you have a death wish. Which, to be fair, he did at one point, but not anymore. At least, most of the time he didn't.

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( WORDS ) 578 ( TAGGED ) @casper  ( MUSE ) here With the scent of blood still hanging tantalizingly in the air, Chase was obviously on edge. Why did it have to be blood of all things? If the boy started vomiting even that would've been far easier to handle than this hellish habit. Every instinct he possessed urged him to lunge forwards and unseal the boy's flesh with a pair of deft slashes, but instead, the young man was left to dig his rapidly lengthening nails into the cushion of his chair. He had to have some sort of object to release the tension into, else he wouldn't know how to handle this. His knuckles gradually whitened as he tore open the fabric, feeling the soft, cotton-like material spill out upon distributing the small incisions... Whoever this other student was, he really needed to know that he was playing with fire right now. And then he repeated the process of spitting out blood into a tissue. At the actual sight of the scarlet liquid, Chase visibly tensed up and made a long yet quick swiping motion across the seat cushion. His entire form trembled with anticipation, akin to how a wolf would prepare itself for the final kill of its prey. The young man was forced to keep his livid, blue gaze trained into the ground to avoid an unnecessary transformation, and if he stared too long at the mysterious individual before him, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to withstand the tempt of the beast within him. And, if this wasn't enough, the challenging stare was enough to ignite an involuntary surge of dominance in his chest. Chase really didn't want to engage in anything with this guy, especially since he was unaware of what his abilities were and why he was sent to the psychiatrist in the first time, but the werebeast felt threatened by this questioning stare. To be quite honest, if he was wondering if Chase would call him out for coughing up blood, now he certainly wouldn't. There was no way to separate his true feelings from the random spurts of unwanted anger that his inner monster elicited, so the boy would most likely create misconceptions about him as a person. He had enough people misunderstanding him already. His response was somewhat surprising, seeing that Chase would've thought that the headmistress would only send people that had committed too many offenses to the psychiatrist.. But perhaps that's exactly what the other boy was here for too. "No," he answered shortly, though his voice wavered a bit as a result of fending off his body's desire to let the beast take over. Not here, not now. Risking a glance at the quiet boy, he breathed, ".. You.. You really might want to reconsider visiting the nurse if you're still bleeding." He was forced to stare determinedly into the ground when he instinctively jolted forward a tad, tearing into the cushion with a strained tone, "I... Do not want to cause an incident again.. And if you happen to see a.. Change in me, I suggest that you either run or knock me out with whatever you have.." Chase spoke in an eerie manner, unsure of how he could word that warning without revealing too much. But, the boy had a right to know if he was going to spur on a transformation, and after all of the crap he'd gone through during the past few weeks, transformations were far too easy to succumb to. AM I DIFFERENT FROM THE REST

MADE BY VEL OF GS

Casper Andreadis Words: 460 Muse

Watching the other boy, it was obvious to Casper that he was under some kind of extreme stress. He appeared to be creating slash marks in the cushioned arms of the chair, and his entire body was trembling.  Oh, now he was sure he could convince the psychiatrist to let him go first. If the doctor ever did show up. By the clock on the wall, it'd already been more than ten minutes since he'd first arrived.  The air of tension in the room was starting to get to him, and he suddenly realized that his own muscles were tensed without his permission or intention. He forced himself to sit back in the chair and slowly relaxed each muscle, one by one. He also forced his breathing to slow and quiet, so no matter how agitated he might or might not be, at least he appeared to have some semblance of calm.  It was somewhat... nice, to know that he wasn't the only one being forced to appointments unwillingly. He wouldn't have appreciated the headmistress focusing on him; he had never been one to enjoy any sort of spotlight, unlike his sister.  For the second time, the other student suggested that he visit the nurse. Casper's fingers tightened around the arms of the chair. "I don't need to visit a doctor," he said, trying to control his rising temper. "I assure you, I am perfectly capable of making sound decisions for myself." He didn't need a random stranger to tell him what to do and what was best for him. Especially since the judgement of a therapy patient (who seemed to actually need the therapy) wasn't exactly the most reliable. Casper gave a sardonic, ghostly smile at the other's warning-slash-suggestion. There was not the slightest glimmer of true humor in the gesture. "Don't worry about me," he said, giving a short, joyless laugh. "I can take care of myself." It'd already been proved that he could escape from sticky situations. There really wasn't a single thing anyone could do in a split second to prevent him from using his powers to get out of something. Unless, of course, he had the power to destroy shadows. But that wouldn't cause any sort of transformation in the boy, which seemed to be what he was implying. It almost made him curious. What kind of transformation was so serious that he needed to be knocked out upon its occurrence? "If you don't believe me, test me," Cas said, leaning forward very slightly and narrowing his eyes. It seemed as though he was actually deliberately trying to provoke the other student. And that just happened to be exactly what he was trying to do.

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( WORDS ) 644 ( TAGGED ) @casper  ( MUSE ) here Surprisingly enough, when Chase peered up at the other student seated across form him, he noticed that his posture and expression seemed almost unnervingly calm. How could someone manage that type of mindset when they were witnessing someone on the verge of a very, very painful transformation? Confusion briefly glinted in his oceanic orbs, but he forced the small emotion out of his system only moments after receiving it. If he was going to try and fend off this terrible situation, he needed to make sure that his mind was void of all thoughts. He flexed his fingers into the plush insides of the cushion a couple more times to alleviate the incredible tautness in his muscles, and in some respects, he almost felt immobile at its strength. Oh, this was not a good sign. The boy offered a reply to his persistent suggestion that he honestly would've expected. Nobody particularly liked being told what they should and shouldn't do (or at least he hadn't met anyone who did), and his rebellious nature wasn't out of the ordinary. But, this was more of a strong recommendation, seeing that Chase really didn't want to harm anyone or himself if he didn't have to. This was only a trip to the psychiatrist, but suddenly it's become so much more. A battle of wits, perhaps? "I never stated that... That you were incapable," he countered, his voice only wavering due to his internal battle and not emotion, "It's just... I recommend that you... You don't stick around.." His breathing was steadily becoming labored as the werebeast within him stirred restlessly, itching to sink his claws into the insolent boy located only a few feet away. Chase honestly had no issues with him as a person, but he was treading on a thin line. When he stated not to worry about him, though, the male couldn't help but feel a bit worried. Was it just ego that caused him to believe he would be equipped to face a werebeast? Unless he had some sort of bright, light-show type magic, there wasn't much of a chance left for this boy. Chase had already come close to committing some egregious acts at Foresta, and murder was one of them. A slight ringing began in his ears as he eyed the stranger warily. If he was so sure, then he'd better be prepared, because he was nearing the point of no return. At the other student's request, Chase's eyes widened slightly and he could feel his pupils shrinking into small ink blots upon his blue optics. Did he really mean that? Whether or not he was aware of what he'd just said, that subtle lean of his body was enough to elicit an involuntary growl from the depths of the boy's chest, and the instant he'd finished, he spoke fervently, "I... Do not want.. To.. Give the headmistress... More reasons.. To... Get rid of me.." Maybe, if he worded it this way, the other student might refrain from instigating him. But, even as he spoke, he could feel his canines steadily growing longer, as well as his eyes shifting from a sapphire to a golden amber hue. His entire body trembled as the small jolts of pain from his bones and ligaments beginning to elongate lanced through him, and he was forced to lean back in the chair with his head staring up at the ceiling. Sweat beaded down his forehead as he swallowed, darkness pulsating at the edges of his vision, "This... This is your last... Chance... I don't know.. How much.. Longer I will.. Be able... To keep it... Together.." In all honesty, Chase really didn't care about the other guy's pride or if he wanted to prove himself in one way or another: To him, he'd caused enough deaths to disregard pride altogether in circumstances of this caliber. AM I DIFFERENT FROM THE REST

MADE BY VEL OF GS

Casper Andreadis Words: 391 Muse

The boy's continued suggestions for him to leave were really starting to irk him. Casper fixed a steely glare on the other's trembling form. There was definitely something going on, something such deeper than simple concern for a fellow student. And he was going to find out what it was. "I think I will stick around," he answered, voice low and the undertone of a growl.  Anything for the sake of an argument. It was a good thing he hadn't blatantly stated his desire to be just about anywhere but here and given the other student leverage against him. Since his toned-down, nearly passive-aggressive methods so far hadn't elicited any notable reaction, he decided to push him even further, with a direct challenge. He knew he was playing with fire--figuratively--and if it went any further, he might literally be playing with fire.   Before the other student tilted his head upward, Cas thought he caught a glimpse of gold in his eyes. Strange. Hadn't they originally been blue? Either it was a trick of the light, or this was the transformation he'd been referring to. "So, don't hold back," he said tauntingly, resting his elbows on his knees. "If you think you can do something to me to warrant the headmistress's anger, you should think again." A single raised eyebrow could only be interpreted in one way: as a challenge. He was definitely going to get himself in some sort of trouble, and he might end up regretting it, but right now, he was bored out of his mind, wanting to get out of here and get rid of excess energy.   Casper didn't understand the boy's reasoning. If he wanted someone to leave and he had some sort of power that would make it easier for him to impose his will on them, he would have used it. It would have also made the last year much nicer. He could have gotten out of that laboratory (more like a torture house) and maybe even changed the course of events. Maybe he wouldn't have the scars on his back, nor the tattoos. He also wouldn't have ended up here. But since Katerina and Sebastian had both died in the crash, maybe he wouldn't have been able to bear being at home, either.

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( WORDS ) 790 ( TAGGED ) @casper  ( MUSE ) here At this point, all subtleties had left the young man's voice as he declared that he was remaining here. He was just trying to stir up trouble at this point, shrouding him in a negative correlation in Chase's mind. Why did he bother entangling himself into something so dangerous? Was it really out of sheer boredom? The male narrowed his eyes slightly in brief confusion, as if he was trying to decode just what about his ailment was driving him to act so rashly. Upon first glance, the boy didn't strike him as an extroverted, trouble-making type of guy, but it seemed as if his intuition had been incorrect. "Suit yourself," he answered quickly, as if he was forcing out the answer before something truly awful occurred.. Which was precisely the case. By now, his eyes were no longer the color he was familiar with, for the yellow hue had bled into the majority of his iris. A few flecks of blue still lingered here and there, but for the most part, it had been eradicated. If this didn't give the boy a warning, nothing would; people's eyes just didn't randomly change color... Or at least, they usually didn't. Unbelievably enough, it seemed as though the other student had challenged him by goading Chase to let all hell break loose. It didn't seem likely that this boy would be able fend off the werebeast, but if he was so convinced that he could, why not give him a slap of reality? There was the increasingly rare chance that he possessed the ability to protect himself, and if that was the case, then there was nothing to lose. He wouldn't report it to the headmistress, and so long as the psychiatrist didn't get involved, it would only remain between these two... The only risk was that Chase still risked going unconscious upon transformation, and despite the male's constant self-confidence, he was dancing with death. Giving the other boy a look that said 'you asked for this', he released all of the binds and mental barriers that restricted the beast's freedom. This was the point of no return. As per usual, Chase emitted a groan of pain as his body lurched forwards, causing him to kneel over on the ground. Every single one of his muscles were contorting or contracting, writhing beneath his skin like frenzied worms. He dug his nails into the sides of his skull as pain lanced through his bones, listening to the sickening snap as they split and reformed into a larger skeletal frame. As his vision swam, he wondered if perhaps, this time, he'd be fortunate enough to pass out before the transformation could finish. His humanistic side went into a hibernation-type of spell when the beast took over, but at least he wouldn't be confined behind a mental prison as he ravaged this other student. A horrifying mixture of a human's scream and an animal's roar shredded through his vocal chords as he convulsed on the floor, thrashing his torso wildly as the intensity of the unending pain grew. Hair sprouted randomly along his skin, coupled with the full extension of his gnarled claws and canines. His entire skull trembled and began the grotesque transformation of a human's profile to that of a lion. Covering his face with his "hands", he was able to shield Casper from the more disturbing parts of this process.. But even with this effort, his squirming tendons were incredibly visible beneath his stretching clothes. His garments were laying in an array of torn cloth just as the transformation was nearing completion. Upon concluding this excruciating process, the boy finally had enough strength to pull himself out of his huddled position... Or, the creature that used to be a boy. In his place was a 7'5'', muscular, anthromorphic lion of sorts, with a wild, shaggy brown mane that ran from the crown of his head to his chest, as well as spreading out across his back as well. Chase's muzzle was armed with jagged rows of sharp, white teeth, now fully visible from his curled lip. A small snarl escaped the beast as it slunk forwards, stepping over his ripped clothes and beginning a slow prowl towards his victim. His yellowy eyes locked upon the other male, never ceasing to growl the entire time he moved. His long, feathered tail swished restlessly from side to side, and each muscle was building with tension in preparation for an attack at the student's jugular. Chase's rational side could only watch helplessly as he viewed Casper through a tunnel of red, unable to rid the bestial rage consuming his every movement. If the boy could defend himself, now would be the time to do it. AM I DIFFERENT FROM THE REST

MADE BY VEL OF GS

Casper Andreadis Words: 826 Notes:

The boy's answer to Casper's blunt statement came surprisingly quickly, and to add to the surprise, offered no resistance. Then again, one couldn't expect someone to keep their relative calm once provoked so far. By now, Casper's mind was on full alertness, studying the other intently, preparing for whatever might happen. With the on-edge boy's tension, it was bound to be something big and exciting.  He observed that the gold color was not a trick of the light, and it was beginning to fill the student's irises, erasing the blue.  Tremors began to take over Chase's form, and Casper received a reproachful look. A groan of pain startled him, and intrigued, he watched the strange transformation coming over him, that seemed to be turning him into some sort of possessed beast. He winced at the sound of bone cracking, which most people wouldn't have expected from someone who'd gone through so much horror just a year ago, but that was exactly why the sound sickened him. Even the crunching of leaves in the autumn sometimes made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.  He wondered why the boy was covering up his face--simple embarrassment?  That didn't seem to fit in the list of emotions he would have given the beast. The ones that did make the list included blind rage, and a thirst for blood. Hair--no, fur--was rapidly sprouting from his skin as a snarling noise emerged from his throat, which made every single muscle in Casper's body go rigid.  So maybe it hadn't been a good idea to elicit the boy's monstrous other form. But it was too late to back out now. The creature, which seemed like some sort of prehistoric giant lion, unfolded itself, revealing its towering height. In response, Casper pushed himself to his feet, leveling a steely gaze at the beast. So this is what he was trying to prevent, he thought to himself. And whether or not that'd been the other's original intention, once he saw what the boy's head had become, he was glad it'd been covered during the transformation. His brain worked quickly, and in a few seconds, he had a plan. For it to work, though, he needed to act fast. Once he was sure the lion was looking at him, he emptied his mind of everything but blackness, like he was on the verge of passing out.  And soon, he could feel his flesh and bones.. melting. "Hey, beastie," he taunted, getting the creature's attention to fix on him. He'd managed to keep his form mostly corporeal, but now he let his body disappear into the shadows under the row of chairs. The part of the darkness that was his body slipped through the rest of the blackness, and darted to another patch of shadow, moving quick enough that you would have missed if you'd blinked. He was mentally timing himself, and he was at twenty seconds. Forty more to go. One second over that, and his plan would be gone. He repeated the process until he was in the shadows behind the beast. Reforming was much easier than de-forming. He stifled a sharp intake of breath as a pain jolted through his chest, and a fire blossomed on the chair he'd just been sitting on. The textile of the cushion quickly caught fire, and it spread to the other chairs. Now to protect himself.  This time, he allowed himself the sudden, pained inhale as he focused his mind, and lit the boy's clothes on fire. That was going to cause a bit of a complication should he transform back into a human. With the toe of his shoe, he nudged a piece of fabric on the ground into a straight line so that it would not block the way to the exit should it catch on fire. Prepared Casper, that was him.  It was obvious that the flames were no normal ones, not even ones produced by a fire elemental. They had an undeniably shadowy quality to them, and a black tint that no natural fire would have. Producing two large bouts of shadow fire wasn't easy, and now he was paying for it. He was starting to feel a bit faint from the pain, especially since it part of the scar stretched right over his heart. He hoped this standoff was going to end soon--he needed to sit down and rest. However, for the sake of appearances, he willed himself to stay on his feet, and forced the flickering blackness at the edges of his consciousness away, away to the deepest pits of the Underworld. Casper wasn't even actually sure if his plan had worked--his vision was a bit sketchy. "Now who's playing with fire?" he said, trying not to sound short of breath by seasoning his tone of voice with malice like one would season a steak with salt--generously.

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( WORDS ) 712 ( TAGGED ) @casper  ( MUSE ) here Already, Chase regretted having let this boy get the best of him. If he'd just been able to hold out a little longer, then perhaps he could've stood his ground and left the office without any issues. Or, he could've gone into the psychiatrist's office and requested to be seen immediately, since this was, practically, an emergency. This guy would've been able to use some sort of mental method to hold off his transformation, right? But, no. Both his instincts and his desire to display the danger of the situation to this seemingly arrogant boy had gotten the best of him. It wasn't as though people could sense how lethal Chase could be just from appearance, but this guy was literally asking for it. Well, hopefully he was receiving what he desired. The beast's maw hung just slightly ajar, letting long tendrils of translucent saliva hang towards the ground. It was the mere thought of sinking his fangs into the boy's flesh that had the creature salivating in anticipation for the first taste of human blood in years. And, he was tantalizingly close, but even a werebeast had to show some sort of restraint. He didn't want to lose this opportunity of being able to consume a human, and thus he prowled forwards with deliberate, precise pawsteps. Every inhale he took brought the salty, delectable scent of flesh into his nostrils, driving him all the more wild as a snarl ripped from his lips. Now with the possibility of satisfying his bloodlust on a human rather than a large number of squirrels or other, insignificant wildlife, Chase was positive that if he did end up in succeeding to pounce on the other student, they wouldn't stand a chance against them. And, he would be absolutely helpless to try and remove himself from the situation, he was too far gone for any mental barriers. It was up to this stranger to protect himself, and with every inch of distance beginning to disappear between them, he feared that the other was too stunned to remain mobile. But, his worries were immediately dissipated when he began to meld into the shadows, almost becoming partially invisible. The stunt baffled the brutish beast, causing him to release a roar of frustration and bound a couple of steps forwards. He was even more surprised to find that when he arrived, the boy had actually materialized behind him. Of course, Chase was oblivious to this and only viewed the event as though he vanished into thin air. His head snapped from side to side, and a low growl of disapproval and frustration slipped from his jaws. Just when he was so close, the moment had passed him by once again. It was at this point that the chair the boy had once sat on seemed to explode into flames, eliciting a deafening roar of surprise and anger from the creature. Blindly, the werecat pawed at the inferno in a blaze of anger, before shrinking back once the heat of it burned the pad of his paw. He was undoubtedly confused by this bright and hot, intangible substance, as he always was, and instinctively began to retreat backwards a couple of steps. Roars, snarls and growls constantly left his mouth in a connected stream with every step he took, as though this would ward off the flames entirely. But, it was only when his clothes were ignited did the anthromorphic lion completely lose it. Even though the fire wasn't as vibrant as he was accustomed to, this was still too much for him to handle as the idiotic and simple-minded beast he was. Another ear-shattering roar burst from the depths of his chest as he pinned himself to the floor, much like a feline, and took a couple of empty swipes at the flames. His frantic gaze shifted between Casper and the fire, before landing upon the exit. But, he wasn't intelligent enough to realize that the fire wasn't enough of an obstacle so that he couldn't escape, so he resorted to the next best thing: Panicking. Chase turned towards the wall and, despite the flaming protests of his claws, began to claw at the wall in a frenzied manner, leaving long slashes in his wake. This was a disaster. AM I DIFFERENT FROM THE REST

MADE BY VEL OF GS

Casper Andreadis Words: 493 Notes:

Although his vision wasn't as clear as it could be, he could tell that the beast had moved forward, toward his original position, which meant that his plan had worked--at least in part. Once the chair burst into flames, the cat-like creature swatted at the dancing fire, then shrunk back suddenly. Based on that alone, Casper guessed the transformation had caused some sort of decrease in intelligence.  And then the boy set the shredded pieces of clothing on the floor on fire. That really seemed to set the beast off. A string of inhuman noises emerged from its mouth, which might have been swear words if the boy had still been in human form. In a very catlike manner, he had crouched on the floor, batting at the flames like they were some sort of prey. His vision was beginning to clear up, but he still had a major headache. Using so much power in such a short span of time was a recipe for disaster--at least for his body. He ran a hand through his hair, clutching his skull as he did so like he was trying to hold it together. A sudden tearing noise startled him. The beast was now clawing at the walls in distress. Casper wondered why, if he was so distraught by the flames, he didn't just run out of the room. There was a somewhat-clear path out of the room that even a creature of that size could fit through. Well, if he took enough care not to brush against the flaming cloth.   The cacophony of walls being shredded wasn't helping his headache any, and he gritted his teeth, nails digging into his palms. "Stop destroying the walls," he ground out. Was there a fire extinguisher around here somewhere? With all the students who had fire-related powers around here, there had to be numerous ones. He forced himself to look around the room for one. There was indeed a fire extinguisher, but it was over by where the beast was, and there was no chance he was going over there.  "If you calm down a little, you can grab that fire extinguisher," Casper managed to say. He wasn't sure whether there was even any point in saying this--the 'lion' wasn't exhibiting any signs of a capability for self-control. To help it along, he gestured at the red container. After all, he could--hopefully--always create a third fire to control the boy-turned-cat. He sat down in the chair behind him, trying to make it look like he wasn't collapsing. It appeared as though he was trying to strangle the arms of the chair with his fingers. His jaw was tightly clenched, and his breath hissed out from between his teeth.  A low sound that was a mix between a growl and a groan escaped from him, almost like a quieter version of the noises the beast was making.

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( WORDS ) 647 ( TAGGED ) @casper  ( MUSE ) here While he was in the process of absolutely destroying the walls, some sort of incomprehensible command emitted from the other boy's lips. This dragged Chase's attention away from his distress, even if it was only for a couple of moments, and resulted in him releasing a growl of frustration and malice. Suddenly, he was hit with an onslaught of fury towards this individual, the boy that had conjured the frightening and impossible flames that now kept the beast trapped. But, in Chase's more rational mind, he was grateful that this student was able to create such bright elements that could baffle the creature. If he'd had any other ability, or something considerably less flashy, there was no telling what would've transpired in the psychiatrist's office. So, despite his aggressive exterior, the boy really wasn't irritated by the other guy, even if he still couldn't understand what he was saying in this haze of anger. His advice to grab the fire extinguisher fell upon deaf ears as the anthromorphic lion released a roar of frustration, swiping a couple more times into the flames and curling his lip into a snarl. Even just hearing the other boy try to speak to him with civilized words irritated his animalistic side, as if anything remotely domestic was an insult to his diminished intelligence. Chase glanced briefly at the fire extinguisher, and despite actually wanting to douse the flames, there was no way he was going to be able to grasp that type of object with his half-human paws and make it function properly. There was too much thought and complex concentration for something of that caliber. As if this entire ordeal was blamed on the other boy, which, in actuality, it was, the werebeast glared at him while continuously releasing a growl or snarl to try and assert his dominance. But, while he remained standing, the subconscious fear that he'd conjure more of these confusing, blackish flames continued to wrack Chase's feral mind. He wasn't that ignorant, for the beast could at least take some of the lesser signs of danger of receiving pain. If anything could get through that skull of his, it was harsh and brutal reprimands, which wasn't really a surprise for someone as savage as he. But, then it appeared that his luck had changed. The other student had actually sat down, which, in the natural world, was now displaying his submissiveness.. Or at least his unwillingness to continue on. Chase emitted a grunt of victory, before bellowing out a similarly triumphant roar from the depths of his chest while batting wildly at the flames. In some respects, he was expecting them to begin to dissolve, but even without this occurring, the brutish monster was now able to spot a clear path to the door. It wasn't an incredibly long distance, and despite his irrational fear of the fire, he was willing to at least give it a shot now that his opponent was momentarily downed. With this thought replaying as a mantra in the creature's simplistic mind, he emitted yet another roar to revive the adrenaline through his veins, before bursting out through the narrow strip of non-scorched floor with a mighty lunge. Of course, he could feel the flames lick hungrily at his unkempt mane, eliciting a snarl of disapproval from his lips, although the anthromorphic lion was too far gone to listen to anything remotely rational in his mind. He continued to lope forwards with long strides, before hurdling his entire form into the door that'd ultimately lead to the exit. If Chase was able to make contact with the object, it would've at least splintered a section of it from the force of the impact coupled with his momentum, but since it took him so long to focus on this task, there was certainly room for Casper to interject if he so desired. (OOC: Like the last sentence says, I wasn't sure if you wanted Casper to do anything about Chase trying to break down the door, but I couldn't think of anything else he'd achieve by just sitting there and growling/being angry, so if you wanted, you could end the thread with your post.) AM I DIFFERENT FROM THE REST

MADE BY VEL OF GS

Casper Andreadis Words: 291 Note: If you want, we can end the topic here.

The beast gave no indication that he had heard Casper--not that he had expected it to. Lurching to his feet, he gritted his teeth against the pain in his head, fists clenched. He tried to suppress the urge to throw something, like the vase of flowers next to him, or the magazines. Or the chair. He couldn't tell if his headache was coming from his powers, the remarkably loud and cacophonous noise the beast was making, or a combination of the two. Sighing in annoyance, he summoned a shadow-being into existence with the directive of retrieving the previously mentioned fire extinguisher and extinguishing the fire with it. Two ghostly hands with tendrils of smoke-like shadow curling around them took form, and picked up the red canister, spraying the white substance around the room. Casper coughed a few times, and blinked to clear his vision. "Just use the damn doorknob," he growled, rolling his eyes. Not willing to risk himself--it was much easier to have a single hand, or even two hands, dodge a raging werebeast than a whole person--he directed the hands toward the door. The left hand disappeared as the remaining right hand reached out toward the doorknob and twisted.  The door opened toward the inside of the room, but from his perspective, Casper couldn't tell if the door had hit the other boy or not. He hadn't told the hand to make it hit him, but if it accidentally did, that was out of his control. Plus, maybe it'd make the beast calm down. But probably not. Either way, it'd sure make him feel better; like a small payback of sorts for contributing to his headache.

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