[QUEEN] My Dear.

O Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo?
Your first location glitters and shines
The tiles and sky looking quite divine
You will find your first clue
in a room quite simply made for a zoo.

[ooc; The students first prompt is to find the location they are meant to meet up. It can be up to you whether this process is long or short. Also, I apologize for my silly rhyming skills xD; Once the students both find the ballroom, the next clue will show up! ]

Nathaniel hated this. He hated the very idea of it, he hated whoever forged his name onto that stupid piece of paper, and he hated whoever he was going to meet along the way. He hated the stupid clue which was clearly referring to some kind of room for a party, which did not have the capacity to be anywhere near as exciting of a party as the raves he used to frequent with Mika. Then again, those weren't really about the rooms, or about the music... They were about drugs and the sex afterwards, neither of which he expected to find at a stupid school event. He didn't even want to be in school, not really anyway. This was all stupid but he knew he had to go through with it. That was the deal, catch up on his high school classes, play along with the school shenanigans and do whatever it takes not to get expelled back to New York which may as well have been a death sentence for the young vampire.

Enough of that. It was sunset by the time the vampire got his start so he knew someone else would show, and they were likely already there. Had they been waiting for him all day? Nathaniel laughed at that prospect. He hoped they weren't too damned stupid to not understand the clue, but then again, maybe that'd be for the best. If they got lost or were just too dumb to figure out the first clue which was clearly not even supposed to be a challenge, then maybe he wouldn't have to go through with any of this. There was only one room he was able to learn of that would suit a festive gathering, and that was the ballroom. Unless the glittery and shiny room was meant to be the conservatory? No, the last line was far too specific. He wasn't in the mood to go hunting too hard anyway - If he was in the wrong place he was in the wrong place and at least he could tell the teachers he made the attempt.

Still, still. Maybe he could have some fun with it, he wasn't doing anything better with his time. Nathaniel coyly made his way up to the entrance of the ballroom and entered quietly - Near silently. If his match were already inside they would surely notice his entrance were they paying attention to the door, but if the room was empty he would simply lay in wait for them.

Valentines day was perhaps the most overrated holiday in her opinions. Each year there was the grand crescendo before the dramatic letdown. Friends would promise to watch Netflix with her the night of only to be swept away by a knight in a car filled with shiny bottles of Vodka. She couldn't blame them. Perhaps her views were tainted by the fact that she had never had a real valentine, but for some reason this little mystery for cupid's holiday excited her. There was something cool about a event where the school tried hooking up its students. 

Riddles had never been her forte, but from the blatant obviousness of the poem she had a feeling that she knew exactly where it would lead her. Although Olwen looked forward to seeing what lay in the room made for a zoo, a pit of anxiety had started to dig itself into her skull. The possibility that the person waiting for her was, to put it kindly, an ass, scared her. Olwen worried that he would be uninterested in the riddle, leaving her in an awkward situation where she wanted to solve the puzzle but might also wanted to crawl back to her dorm in a cloud of defeat. 

The room suddenly appeared right in front of her and a tiny gasp escaped her lips. Fumbling around in her pockets for the little note, she pulled it out and reexamined it, soothing some of the worries her brain had created. A shaky hand reached out and gingerly opened the door. At first there was nothing out of order about the ballroom until she noticed the tall figure standing in the middle of it. Slipping through the cracked door quietly, she pulled it shut behind her and slowly moved closer to him. With a small build of up energy was was able to speak a greeting to the stranger, "Hello."

Casper wasn't sure what he'd been thinking, signing up for an event like this.  Had he hoped to make a new friend?  Win the prize?  Maybe it was the intrigue of a school hosting something that seemed so much like a blind date.  Whatever the reason, he was now holding a slip of paper with a short poem meant to be a clue as to where he was supposed to meet his partner.  As soon as he saw the first line, he had a pretty good guess as to where he was supposed to go.  His English teacher in freshman year had been a Shakespeare fanatic, and they'd spent an excessive amount of time reading Romeo and Juliet, even acting it out with fake swords.  Admittedly, it had made the reading process much more entertaining, and even enjoyable.  

He pulled his mind back to the task at hand instead of reminiscing.  The only possible locations were a bedroom, ballroom, or church, and since it was unlikely they'd be meeting in a bedroom, and Foresta didn't have a church as far as he knew, it had to be the ballroom.  Casper took off in a jog towards what he was certain was the location described.  Further reading of the poem only cemented his guess, and as he reached the entrance to the ballroom, he saw a boy slip through.  After a moment's hesitation, he followed.

When he entered the room, he saw a girl shake hands with the boy, and assumed they were partnered.  But that didn't make sense... There were only supposed to be two people per group, right?  He almost walked out, assuming that he had somehow guessed incorrectly, but instead decided to walk up to them to confirm that he was indeed in the wrong place.  "Excuse me,"he interrupted, trying to be as polite as possible. "Do you have a scavenger hunt clue that talks about Romeo and Juliet?"

Stupid, stupid. Or maybe it wasn't, because if Nathaniel was being honest with himself he wouldn't have minded some company. And at least the ballroom was a sight to behold because the pseudo-night sky was familiar and comforting to him. The room lacked the feel of fresh air and a touch of wind, but he had had enough of the winter cold for the time being so he was satisfied with their point of meeting. But no, he tried to convince himself, it was still a stupid human high school Valentines day event and he shouldn't care one way or the other. He wasn't ready to move on anyway.

Nathaniel had been examining the room with his back to the entrance when his sensitive hearing detected the door creeping open behind him. He knew she was there, but he played coy as though he hadn't heard her. He would make her say the first word.

"Hello," she offered with a tone he could only describe as shy. Well, time to have some fun with her then.

Nathaniel slowly and dramatically turned his head to glance over his shoulder at the girl. "Greetings," he said in a low, confident voice. He was fond of the lack of color in her attire and her pale skin - If it wasn't for that lively human scent their people tend to carry he could have mistaken her for one of his own. He turned his body politely to square shoulders with her. "I wasn't expecting someone... So lovely," he said to the human with an honesty that surprised himself. They were alone for this adventure, and he could tell that as the extrovert in the room he would be very much in control. He had no doubts he could get what he wanted out of her, whatever he decided that may be.

Nathaniel gracefully closed the distance with the girl, offering to let her look at his note. "My name is Nathaniel. I take it you'll be my Juliet tonight?" he had asked her quietly, his eyes fixed affectionately upon hers when the door crept open again. ...That wasn't supposed to happen.

"Excuse me," the other man interrupted Nathaniel's advances, cockblocking at the worst moment possible. "Do you have a scavenger hunt clue that talks about Romeo and Juliet?"

Nathaniel could have glared a hole through the new addition to their group. He wanted to tell him he was in the wrong place and that he should maybe try the conservatory, but he was afraid the girl might correct him and Nathaniel didn't fancy the odds of that gambit. He didn't say a word to the man, instead, returning his gaze to the girl whose height was reminiscent of Nathaniel's ex-lover. In fact, she reminded him of her in certain ways. ...Is that why he was beginning to care? When did that happen all of a sudden? One moment he was apathetic, and the next...

None of this betrayed on his face. Nathaniel smiled simply and sweetly at the girl to say, "I knew this was too good to be true. It seems you'll have two men vying for your attention tonight, love."

[OOC: I'm gonna go ahead and pop in here since it seems like things are underway. As you post and have your students look around go ahead and click here www.roll-dice-online.com/ and pick a d20 to roll. Once you've rolled and post in OOC what number you rolled, I'll pop back in and let you know which student will most likely notice the clue first.]

(OOC: Casper has rolled a 14.)

OOC: Olwen rolled 20

(OOC; It can be up to y'all how long this will take, but here are the prompts - use them as you will!

Nathan > If he decides to look around the ballroom he will get no where near the clue. Better luck next time!
Casper > If he decides to look around the ballroom a tiny glint out the corner of his eye by the bar will catch his attention. What could possibly be over there?
Olwen > If she decides to look/walk around the ballroom, upon walking near the balcony the sound of rustling paper will catch her attention. Is this the next clue? It seems as though a tiny red piece of paper is taped onto the railing.

Continue on and enjoy! )

A faint rosy hue kissed her cheeks and forced her to turn her gaze away from the stranger. It had been a while since anyone had complimented her in person. Distance between them closed and an eerie chill radiated off of him. He presented her with a name but that didn't mean they were anything more than strangers but that didn't mean she wanted it to stay that way. Olwen's starry eyes had been staring at his feet, but were now slowly creeping up his figure. The stranger's hands were as pale, maybe even more so, than her own..

Yet another voice came from behind and it sounded like a man? Olwen turned away from Nathaniel and subtly slide away from him, putting a more comfortable space between them. From the way that the riddle had been set up, it seemed to have implied that there would only be a Romeo and a Juliet, not a Benvolio as well. For some reason it seemed like tonight, of all nights, she was being surrounded by handsome men. Unable to stop herself, she let go of a small sigh, then proceeded to turn a darker shade of red than she had already been.

"Yes, we too received such a note. I'm Olwen and this is.. Nathaniel." When she turned around to look at her pale acquaintance, she found that he had been eyeing her. Feeling flustered, Olwen moved even further away from the two and stared to wander about the ballroom, hands folded neatly behind her back. "Seeing as we're here to find something we might as well start looking?"

As Casper approached the pair, he could already discern that he his entrance had been poorly timed, but honestly, he didn't really care.  He would've felt more remorse if the response he got from the other boy hadn't been so rude, but as it was, the ferocious look wiped out any lingering traces of remorse.  The girl was kind enough to introduce herself and the boy.  Nathaniel.  He knew it was wrong to form judgments before he'd spoken to him extensively (although he didn't particularly want to), but he couldn't help thinking that the name sounded pretentious as hell.  And the Underworld was a pretty pretentious place, as he knew from personal experience.  

"It's nice to meet you, Olwen," he responded with a tight-lipped smile. "My name is Casper."  He snorted derisively at Nathaniel's next words, which sounded as if he assumed that the girl returned his blatant interest in her.  A well-mannered being such as her was far too good for someone like him.  Listening to Nathaniel continue was just a pain.  "I'm not here to 'vie' for anyone's attention," he said coolly, tone of voice contrasting the mocking sneer painted on his otherwise handsome features.  Just my luck, he thought, getting stuck with some creepy, possessive guy who's only here because he's desperate to hook up with this poor girl. 

The boy turned back to Olwen when she spoke again and nodded in agreement.  "I think that's a good idea.  Should we split up and tell each other if we've found anything?"

It had all become clear to Nathaniel. He had never seen the play nor read the script but he had watched the 1968 movie adaption with his lover once, although the vocabulary was a bit too fast and complex for the woman who only learned English as her second language. Regardless, the pieces were in play and the game was in motion. The only question left to him was who is in control of which piece?

It was a safe bet that Olwen was Juliet, and one of them must be Romeo. But the third, mysterious piece... Was it to be Tybalt? Mercutio? Or simply Benvolio? Nathaniel hadn't done an exhaustive search of his roommates but he was pretty certain Casper wasn't part of his dorm, and in the narrative that would make them enemies. But then, what was Olwen's dorm? Could that make Nathaniel... No, no. He was reading far too much into this, there's no way the teachers could have known how this would develop. But they did realize the story ends in blood, did they not? Not that many of Nathaniel's nights ended without bloodshed, but maybe that was why the event coordinator sent the vampire along in the first place. That was one way to be sure the classic literature had its proper ending but Nathaniel realized there was no way a school, even one like Foresta, would allow their students to harm one another. So was this whole line of clues going to be some elaborate scheme they set in place to test Nathaniel's restraint? Maybe by the end of the night, each of the students were going to be tested in ways he could not know.

"Seeing as we're here to find something we might as well start looking?"
"I think that's a good idea. Should we split up and tell each other if we've found anything?"
"I hardly think the intent of this exercise is to split up," Nathaniel started in a tone of voice that suggested Casper was a fool.

Nathaniel had seen the type before. Taller than him, a little more muscle than him. Typical meathead, probably played basketball or something. Not unlike the many kids who tried to bully Nathaniel in school, but quickly learned why that was a very, very bad idea. Nathaniel's eyes were fixed on Casper as he smiled at the memory of a kid who once shoved Nathaniel into a locker, only to have the gesture returned by a knife into the stronger kid's abdomen. He always thought it was funny that wherever he went the other kids had called him crazy or unpredictable, when in reality, he always knew exactly what he was doing. He hated that school anyway and he was happy to get expelled off to juvy, but Nathaniel's train of thought led him to an uncomfortable caution. His tactics would have to change. He couldn't let himself get expelled from Foresta Academy. Still, Nathaniel had handled far worse situations than this so he was not the least bit intimidated by the visually stronger human.

He pointed up towards the pseudo-night sky that offered the ball room an interesting lighting decor. "But if the friendly ghost wants to go float off on his own, I did see a star out of place up in the night sky. Find a ladder and climb up - Unless you're scared of heights," Nathaniel challenged him. He hadn't really seen anything up there, or even tried to look that hard. In fact, right now, he wasn't the least bit concerned with the clue so much as the nagging feeling in the back of his head that maybe he wasn't destined to be Romeo in this play. But Casper had expressed a disinterest in Olwen, could that have been a feint? Thoughts and plots circled in the vampire's head but he hadn't missed a beat as far as the conversation went. The only thing he was truly sure of was that the play ended in blood, and that thought gave him comfort, because he knew he would likely be the one to inflict it.

"But if you're too much of a coward, then the three of us should stick together for Valentine's Day." It wasn't that Casper was wrong, sure, splitting up would have been faster. But by virtue of making him feel as wrong as possible, Nathaniel had to choose the opposing point of view.

Regardless of Casper's decision, Nathaniel would want to stay with Olwen. He had noted the girl's discomfort and chose to respectfully maintain the distance that she had set between them. It was going to be a long night, he felt, and there would be plenty of opportunity for each player to make their move. Perhaps, in time, she might warm up to him on her own.

The amount of testosterone in the air was starting to suffocate her. Snarky comments from Nathaniel made Olwen wonder how much of a Romeo he truly was. Casper, on the other hand, had not done anything too incredibly savage toward the pale man. She looked between the two constantly as her feet led her around the room in a slow waltz, wondering who would bite back next.

As Olwen made her way along the edges of the room, she noticed balcony doors hidden behind thick curtains. Slim fingers reached out to peal back the polyester fabric and found a setting sun behind it, as well as an actual balcony. Pulling back the entire curtain in one grand motion, she gently opened the doors and went outside, the fresh air filled her lungs and wiped away all the damage Nathaniel and Casper had done. Olwen moved forward and leaned against the cool cement of the balcony, staring across the campus. For some reason or another this place brought back memories of home. She had not been home in a very long time. 

Turning away from the falling sun, something caught her eye, something red. A vibrant grin spread across her face, "Guys come here! I think I've found something.."

You've found the zoo!
Congrats to you.
Be it man or beast, come and quench your thirst,
Your next clue will be placed at the watering hole.

Casper's suggestion to split up was instantly met with objection from Nathaniel.  But really, what could he expect?  The boy shrugged nonchalantly, not terribly offended by whatever the other thought; it was an instant change from his previously tense demeanor, and one could only wonder at the sudden cooling in temper.  He walked off a few steps from Olwen and Nathaniel; even if the boy didn't want to follow his plan, that didn't mean he had to comply.  Just as something by the bar caught his eye, Nathaniel's voice barged into his thoughts again.  Jeez.  He didn't think he'd met anyone anywhere near this talkative here at Foresta.  It was somewhat surprising, as the shorter boy appeared to be one of those strong, silent types.  (Which, he didn't realize, was exactly how Casper came off to many people.)  But he mentally berated himself for judging by appearances, although he reasoned that he might just be trying to seem eloquent to impress Olwen.  Was that a thing?  Maybe, maybe not.  He certainly hadn't tried it.

The reference to Casper the Friendly Ghost seemed as if it was meant to be an insult, but instead of being indignant or irked, the ghost (hah) of a smile touched his lips.  The only reason he found that joke amusing was because he could in fact become as immaterial as a ghost or even create ghost-like shadow beings, albeit not particularly friendly ones.  Nathaniel's tone was quite obviously a challenge, daring him to prove that he was not scared of heights.  Casper smirked and responded, "I thought you were opposed to splitting up?  Or are you only opposed to being apart from Miss Olwen?  Perhaps you should go check it out yourself if you think there's something there.  Wouldn't want me to steal your glory, now would we?"  He was starting to agree that splitting up wasn't such a good idea; Olwen seemed very flustered around Nathaniel, as if she felt threatened by him.  Even if Casper wasn't trying to win over Olwen, he felt responsible for being a source of help if she needed it (not that he wasn't sure she could handle herself).  

Olwen cut in before he could respond to Nathaniel's next comment, saying that she'd found something.  He felt a slight satisfaction at the observation that the clue had not been where the other boy had indicated, supporting his hypothesis that he was only trying to get alone time with the girl.  Moving to stand beside her, he studied the clue.  "Is it referring to the refreshments table, maybe?"