Conflict

"Well... that's her gone for the day I guess?" You noted lightheartedly, before huffing and smiling widely... something told you that this would be a very productive day after all.

Turning your eyes to rose, You noticed her intense stare, watchful and Inquisitive, clearly trying to silently decipher an action that she could not understand.

"You, alright there?" You made track to meet with her, and she gripped back as You took her hand.

Conflict rolled about Rose's stark beauty, her lips red as rubies rubbing together "I'm thinking."

"Wow, really, I never would have guessed?" You shot back, trying to eek a smile out of the redhead, but none was to be found.

Those orbs like sapphires rested on you, seriously, a little sternly "I was thinking about my father."

Your smile lessened, but did not fade, as You flung an arm over her shoulder and whispered softly "I've got to meet Vicky at the library while everybody is out for second period, wanna walk and talk?"

Rose's arm constricted on yours and she nodded thoughtfully "Very Well."

Birds chirped in the overcast sky, which rippled with hints of blue. The Winter sun peered through the Ashen veil above, to provide fool's warmth to all below, as the icy wind carried leaves of red and gold across the courtyard.

The Bell had already screamed and echoed, beckoning Your fellow students to march off to their second-period classes. Where You'd usually be attending Mr Harrow's class, You'd decided to utilize this time to tutor Vicky, with Mr Harrow's permission of course.

Your fingers darted on the keyboard of your Smartphone, rapidly messaging where before you needed to squint to even see the letters with your poor vision.

You: Hey. Meet me at the Library in 5, Mr Harrow thinks working one on one will benefit our grades.

Vicky: ...
Fine, we can meet. But I don't want anybody seeing us together.

You: Kinda the point of working... while everyone else is in lectures.

Vicky: Yh, right, I knew that. Will it be just the 2 of us alone, or is dat Daisy babysitter chick comin?

You: Not a babysitter. but... No, just us.

Vicky: OK! <3

You: don't send me hearts.

Vicky: OK! xxxooo

You: :I or kisses, or hugs.

Vicky: :( Whatever, Loser.

You: That's more like the Vicky I know and despise :)

Rose tactlessly peered over your shoulder as You finished messaging Vicky and slipped the phone back into your pocket, making sure that the wave of students rushing past didn't accidentally--

A young man rushed past, a sophomore by the looks of him, charging by and directly into Rose's path. At the rate He was going, He'd knock the beauty over... but that wasn't how things were going down under your watch.

Forevermore.

The world cracked and time leapt out from the page, Your eyes absorbed the blur of images that spiralled all around you, and picking them apart your arm struck through the air, and gently but firmly caught the Guy just as He was inches away from rose, clearly not looking where He was walking.

Rose paused, and the Young man looked up absently, before widening his eyes, at your tall dark form, looming over him. "C-Charlie... hey." He whispered.

"Hey Lucas, long time no see." You grinned, allowing Forevermore to burn out softly. "Jeez, how long has it been since we talked?" You asked sunnily.

Lucas Baker, a D&D nerd that you'd played a campaign or two with back in high school was one of the nerds who knew better than talk to "Dicky-drake" the most unpopular nerd in school. And yet, You could smell the equal cowardice, of displeasing Charlie "The King of the Keg" Drake either, by bumping into (who most gossipers had already assumed was) his Pregnant Girlfriend.

"H-hey, yeah like... high school I think, we did those wicked D&D Campaigns, Hey what did you stop me for bro, I was just en-route to Miss Pearla's Art class." The rotund and glasses wielding nerd asked.

Charlie's lips quivered.

WHAT A TWO-FACED LITTLE POSER, NOW HE HAS THE GALL TO SPEAK TO US, NOW THAT OUR REPUTATION IS GROWING. WE SHOULD RIP OUT HIS THROAT AND DRINK FROM HIS VEINS LIKE A SIPPY STRAW!!!!

Donning a friendly smile, You merely patted Lucas' shoulder "You nearly bumped into Rose, She's pregnant so try to be a bit more careful, next time, alright buddy?"

Rose looked even more perplexed, as Lucas returned your smile as you let him go "Oh, I'm really sorry, and uh... hey congratulations."

Lucas scuttled off with the other crowds and You chuckled at Rose's watchful eyes, scratching your head "Better safe than sorry."

Despite your offer, Rose seemed hesitant to speak as you pushed through the double doors into the halls, where the sounds of chattering, the slamming and unlocking of lockers and the scuttling of feet filled your ears. Surrounded by warm bodies, You shook the beating hearts from your thoughts, and instead focused on the oddity... of being greeted in the hallway... by other students, instead of glares and mutterings, men hoisted up their arms "King of the keg himself, Chip-man how's it going." where you high five them in slight confusion.

Women smiled and flushed, turning their eyes away... although.

As Rose walked beside you, clutching on your arm, Your ears tingled. footsteps, distinct, heavy with anxiety and overly quick approached from behind.

"She has been following us since we entered," Rose remarked, seemingly having also noticed the footsteps.

"Who is it?" You whispered, unwilling to turn, in case your little stalker ran off somewhere.

"I don't know, but she's never once taken her eyes off of you." The redhead spoke offhandedly, seemingly more out of boredom than concern.

"Well then, it's only polite to introduce ourselves." You said with a Wink.

In a fierce swivel, You turned directly, your eyes like twin suns beaming through the clouds and immediately locking with a girl... hidden within another group of girls. Raising an eyebrow, You paused as your eyes met with the Orange-hazel orbs... of Penelope Helia.

"Wow... I really am a magnet for crazy Bitches. Oh well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious. see me, that's right, I can see you watching. Come over, come over here..."

Helia stood against the lockers, conversing with her only friend Vana amongst some other girls that You knew to be members of the Spiritual and religious study club... members that often didn't actually spend much time in lectures, due to their parent's assistance on the study of their beliefs.

You were curious just what a person like Helia had to believe... especially when the mental line that You'd cast out began to tug back with resistance.

Helia continued to gaze at you, eyes locked with you and squinted as Your pull was strained against.

"She's strong... shit how am I gonna-"

GET OVER HERE!!!!

Vlad roared, his scream bolstering your power. And with a click of the cylinder on your fishing rod, your fingers curled around the handle, slowly winding the line back in.

Helia... broke off from Vana mid-conversation, much to her friend's apparent confusion. The narrow, yellow/orange-haired woman slowly and cautiously made her way over to you, pushing people out of the way as they rushed to class, clearing a path, until finally...

"Hello, Penelope." You spoke softly, as Rose stood beside you.

Helia seemed slightly confused as to why she had walked over, and... slightly miffed "The fuck am I doing over here?!" She grumbled, before looking back at you.

You absorbed her in that moment, She had cut her hair to a short-medium length, the top curls bellowed with Orange and the bottom ends shone a brilliant blonde-ish yellow. She had piercings in her septum, on her left eyebrow and an industrial running through her right ear. Her lips were pink and pulled into a tight, constantly hostile look that uglied her beauty.

Oddly enough Helia used to be the but of the joke herself in high school, she was angry, unreasonable and not exactly easy on the eyes back then... but in that time, despite her scowl, she'd grown into a tall and lean figure, with a sharp nose and cheeks that almost made her look like a fiery swan.

You did not answer her, even as she scratched her fiery head and scratched at her arm through her mahogany leather jacket.

Penelope's scowl deepened, as she moved forward, flushing red "I said, how the fuck did I get here, Drake?" She stood with a threatening air, but neither yourself nor Rose stirred.

Smiling you huffed "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend just... I noticed you following is all." You spoke lightheartedly and calmly, much to Helia's annoyance, having once again dodged her question.

"I don't see how me following you is any of your fucking business." She growled.

"Well... Being followed by such a thing of beauty, how could I not notice?"

Your flattery went completely unanswered. "Listen here you pompous fuck, You're little..." Helia's angry eyes rested momentarily on Rose, before flying back at you "...Tricks, don;t work on me. I came here for one reason only."

Standing straight, you continued to smile "Oh?"

Penelope lent in, red-faced and blazing with warning "Stay away from Isabella."

Your eyebrows raised.

"Don't look at me like that, don't look at me at all--Keep those eyes away." She pointed and You flashed your teeth, almost chuckling as You revealed a hand of your own.

Slipping in, You grasped Helia by the arm, making her freeze. You felt something, a flash, the same side on different coins, burning, screaming, flaming.

Your whispered entranced Helia, who felt every ounce of your monsterous presence. "You and Your kind, have no say in my affairs.

Her eyes widened.

"Not You, not Vana over there, not the 'Spiritual and religious study club' of which, I nor any other student has seen sit once for a council once a week like every other club. And especially not Hedwig."

"H-How do you know that name?" She muttered.

Smirking, your grip tightened "I've had a lot of time to think, and for Witches versed in dark arts lost to time, You're not very subtle." Your eyes locked with hers, became dark as Your smile faded, speaking with an authority that cut through time. "Stay out of my business. All of you, I can do more than just sense you now. So I suggest that You keep out of my way, until somebody clearly more suited to giving me commands than You, shows up."

Helia's eye twitched, her face red with wrath as her breath quickened... you could detect the faintest smell of smoke, as-

"Penelope, enough." Vana reached over and grasped at her friend, pulling her aside "Calm down, it's okay, You don't need to get upset." Vana was gentle and kind in her words, words that Helia actually seemed to hear, if not under duress.

"He threatened our Mistress. He is a threat to us, to Hecate. We should kill him now." Helia whispered.

"He... also has excellent hearing." You cut in.

Vana looked at You and huffed as she ushered Helia off to calm down "Listen... we do not want any trouble, Helia is worried that's all... she just doesn't know how to express it."

You could smell it on the Hindu beauty's words: Fear.

Sighing, You relaxed and allowed your smile to return "Okay, I believe you. But I am serious. Isabella said you'd show up eventually, but if this 'Hedwig' woman wants to talk, she should do it herself."

Vana put on a strange kind of smile "Who's to say, that she hasn't already? Look, I'll get Penny to apologise later, but that's all I can say for now. Bye Charlie." and on that very mysterious note, Vana and Penelope, marched off back to their group.

"I always did hate Witches and their unusually pompous threats," Rose muttered.

Your eyes turned to Rose curiously "Wow, okay, we really need to talk. Come on." You took Rose's arm and before she could speak, dragged her off to speak a little more privately.