Second Chances (Open)

The girls were bone-dry in the middle of a rain storm. All around them drops of water splashed onto the ground, staining the street. It was gloomy at 11:00 am, all muted tones of gray, and blacks and whites as vivid as the girls' hair. One girl stood with her arm casually raised; above it, the rain stopped, splashing a few inches away from the pairs' heads as if by magic umbrella -- if umbrellas were flat. One could hear the patter of the rain as it fell onto the surface of the invisible construct. They were identical in height, they had the same eyes, and nose, and face, but their hair were stark contrasts. The first girl's eyes were wide with curiosity and adventure and her ringlets were black as soot; the second's eyes seemed narrowed as if in suspicion, her hair a bit longer, and white with strands of gray.

The white-haired girl pulled her jacket more tightly around her. It was colder here than New Orleans; dryer, and cold, and today at least, rainy. Rain wasn't new to her, but this chilliness (no doubt moderate to natives) gave her a sense of foreboding. Her sister, with the magic umbrella, was only made more alert by their new environment. Vera had always been open to new things; she loved adventure. The city had been so much fun and now they had a new place to call home. Mera was more cautious, and she missed home already, but she followed her sister's lead.

They had just been dropped off at a boarding school. They were gifted, and not just with magic umbrellas. The school's gates stood in front of them, and from where Mera was standing, it looked deserted at this point in time. Perhaps they were all indoors due to the rain.

"What are we waiting for?" the white-haired girl asked, leaning back towards her sister, without taking her eyes off the school. Mera's hand clutched the suitcase next to her anxiously.

"A welcoming committee?" Vera offered, with a weak smile. She could feel her sister's uneasiness. Mera didn't laugh. What were they waiting for? Vera wondered. All they had to do was walk through the gates; they'd be out of the rain, off the road, and starting their new lives at Beata Academy. But something made her hold back a few more moments.

Most students would be inside during a rainy day, probably curled up in some blankets or something, but one student was out and about. Normally he wasn't one to be outside, but since it was raining he took his chance with going outside. Rainy days were typically the days he went outside. For the sound of rainy muffled some of the effects of his gift.

A dark haired student walked along a path that would lead him up to the front of the school next to the entrance. He had a jacket wrapped around him as he walked, but even so he was basically soaking wet. Magic didn't mind though. It was just something that he did. He was enjoying the quiet day for once even though it was gray, and kind of depressing.

Gray-green eyes looked up from the stone path below, only to notice to girls standing at the gate seemingly avoiding all of the rain drops. He decided to approach the two girls seeing how he was a prefect, and if they were new then he would probably help them in some way if they needed it. The winter boy shoved his hands into his pockets, then said something to the girls. "Hello. Are you two new here?" His over all tone sounded friendly and welcoming.

Rain certainly wasn't new to her. Erin had been around it almost 24/7 back at home in Ireland. The rarity was a bright and sunny day, and for whatever reason, there seemed to be a lot of those here. To her, it made Beata feel more homey, especially since Erin hadn't been here for very long. It was calming, soothing, relaxing.

Staring out of the window at the entrance of the academy, she simply watched the rain and it's beauty with a blissful sigh. She didn't really care to be in her room, even moreso since she seemed to be the only one in it. At the entrance, she could look out at the fountain and the gorgeous foliage that lined the pathways leading up to the doors of Beata. It was only when to girls stepped out of a car did she snap back to reality for a moment, staring at the two with bright, curious green eyes. They were very similar and many ways but oddly opposite. Their hair was very interesting and neither one of them looked very happy to be here. The funny part was that as they stood in the middle of the rain, neither one of them were getting wet. It was like the rain was avoiding them entirely, falling onto an invisible shield of sorts and avoiding them like the plague.

It actually took a moment for Erin to remember exactly where she was. She was in a large school filled with gifted students just like her. No longer was she surrounded by people who had no idea what or who she was. These people were strange just like her, and the two girls out front were no different.

Buttoning up her plaid shirt that was worn over a black tank top and making sure her jeans were decent, Erin swung open the doors and leaped out into the pouring rain. She didn't care about how it made her look. She was so used to it, the only thing she was slightly concerned about was how her bright red rat's nest of hair was going to look once it dried. Almost skipping up to Vera and Mera, she gave them a happy smile and a small wave. "Hello," she said, the Irish accent thick in her voice. She was going to say more, but they were suddenly joined by a rather tall boy whom Erin had never seen before who was actually asking them the same thing she was about to ask. Shutting her mouth, she paused and just waited for a response.

With rain came the fading of the light and the riotous colors died and the heat and urgency cooled away, darkness thickening as it submerged its ways between the trees till the sky was dim and strange as the bottom of the sea. A thin trickle evolved and let the water down like a waterfall, bounding from the tops of the trees and pouring like a cold shower over the struggling heap of dirt and stone. A great wind blew the rain sideways, cascading the water from the dense canopy. The street lights of the school eerily glowed a haunting orange, and time was crawling and inched away. Large drops of water shattered down, splashing onto the top of her umbrella and slithering down, delicately falling off the edge. In the distance, a shadowed wall of evergreen trees bent and swayed, silhouetting the black mountains. She let out a small sigh, her eyes drifting up towards the sky, and one hand came out, palms up as a raindrop plopped on, leaving a wet splash of emptiness with it.

The gloomy skies gave the stone pavement a shine glistening like silver, raindrops dancing in the air around her as she made her way back to the academy from Rosebury, the large gates looming over her. Her fingers clutched the handle of her crimson red umbrella, but she wasn't sure if she was holding it too tightly or not. A loose white scarf was wrapped around her neck, a pastel pink jacket reaching down to her thighs over her plain black shirt and wore white leggings with black boots. On her head was a white beanie clipped on with star dark pink star pendants, and her hand reached up to readjust it a bit as she neared the entrance.

Everything outside was as dead and gray as the ocean waters that might teem with life under a bright sun. The few people who seemed to be out were completely drenched and rushing towards shelter while others peacefully lingered back in town. Quietly, she hummed to herself as she crossed the threshold that made the academy. She hadn't expected anyone to be at the entrance once she got there. Let alone see the one person she had been trying to avoid after the... Evaluation. Her lips thinned - her umbrella was a stark contrast to the atmosphere around them that they would've seen her from a mile away and it would be rude if she just walked past without saying anything. But-- No. Everyone before yourself. Disregard her own feelings.

Taking a deep breath, the first thing she noticed was that Magic was completely drenched. With a small frown, her arm raised the umbrella up high enough where he wouldn't be exposed to the open rain. One hand released from the handle, and she gave an almost imperceptible wave and timid smile, taking a quick look at the other three students. One had a bright bunch of red hair and vibrant, curious green eyes. Twins were the two who seemed to be avoiding the cold shower pouring down on them. Her heart sunk a little as she remembered her brother, her own twin. She could feel herself shrink, her eyes flitting nervously underneath uneven bangs as she tore them eyes away, almost in fear that she had been staring. Lamia dug the ball of her right foot into the ground as her gaze dropped to the floor, almost as though she were hoping to tear the ground open with that kind of effort. Not that she could feel how hard she was pushing it in...

Should she say something? Or would it be better to keep quiet in the case that something bad slipped out? Maybe she shouldn't had come up at all and pretended she didn't exist. No, they probably wouldn't have noticed her anyway, save for her umbrella, and she could've ran to make it seem like she was in a hurry. Stupidstupidstupidstupid.

The twins mustered smiles at the Irish girl and the dark-haired boy; apparently Vera was right to wait. She was the one who welcomed their approach, smiling with her whole face and especially her vibrant light-brown eyes. "We are," she said in response to the boy. "And y'all must be the welcoming committee!" She beamed, still holding her hand up to the rain to keep her and her sister dry. Their "welcoming committee" didn't have the luxury of a barrier and both were rather wet, at least until the third girl came with her bright red umbrella, popping from the scenery of the school even more than the girl with the red hair. She covered the friendly one, the boy, but left the Irish girl to freeze.

"Coming out here in the rain, just for us," Mera said. "You best get us inside before each of you catch a cold," she teased, concern in her knitted brow, eyes darting over the trio that met them. None were particularly impressive, she thought, but the Irish girl stood out the most with the accent from overseas. The school was international, Mera realized; people like them were all over the world. She really didn't know much about others' with "gifts," but none of them blinked an eye at Vera's invisible canopy that still kept the twin's dry from the rain. This must not be too outlandish at the "Academy." It made her nervous for what was in store... and what even these seemingly normal people in front of her could do.

Almost as if on cue, the light drizzle picked up and became a true downpour. It splashed against the ground in a frenzy, fat drops of moisture trying their hardest to escape the sky, racing one another to the pavement and splashing on shoes. In the distance thunder roiled, threatening a storm as the wind picked up. Trees swayed and in moments the world had went from just gloomy to dark.

Mera raised an identical arm to her sister, and the imperceptible covering that protected them from the elements grew in size to include the redheaded European beside them. Both girls now had one arm extended lazily to the sky, holding up a now heavier barrier with their minds, and the other hand clutching their respective suitcases. "Lead the way in, if you don't mind," Vera said to the boy and the girl under their crimson umbrella. "Introductions can wait 'till we're out of this weather."

Magic blinked in surprise when he didn't feel the rain dripping down on his head anymore. The sound of the rain muffled his good friend's approaching footsteps, and wasn't aware she was next to him until he looked over and saw her standing there shielding them both from the rain. He was already soaking wet so he didn't really see the point. He still thought it was kind of her though. Only the Irish girl, whom he didn't know, didn't have a cover now. He assumed she must have been relatively new.

He heard the thunder before the rest of them did. Well barely before the rest of them anyway. It was a still a bit far, but Vera was right. They did need to get out of this weather. "Right this way." He said to the two, walking out from under the barrier, and umbrella. He didn't really care about the rain. And the place the needed to go wasn't too far so it wasn't a big deal.

Well this was different. Suddenly Erin was surrounded by four different people she didn't know. It wasn't really all that weird, but she suddenly felt like she was intruding. She just happened to be at the entrance at the time and had never actually met anyone here at the academy yet and didn't really want these girls to feel the same way. Instead, they seemed to draw a crowd. No big deal. Her grin growing, she looked at Magic for a moment and nodded in response to what he said just before the rain began to pour down and thunder shook the sky. Instinctively covering her head with her hands (even though it didn't help at all in the situation) her gaze fell to the ground to keep the rain out of her eyes.

But she didn't feel anything. She could still hear the rain pounding at the ground all around them, but she straightened herself back up to see that the twins had stretched their barrier to cover her. Surprised and a little relieved, she looked back at them quickly. "Oh, thanks!" She said before taking their advice and turning around to go back inside. Even though she didn't mind the weather, it was getting a bit too much for her even though it didn't seem to bother the tall boy next to her as he just waltzed right back into it towards the door. When they reached it, Erin grabbed the handles firmly and pulled the door open, motioning everyone to get inside.

Her fingers grasped around the handle of the umbrella harder, clenching onto them the same way a dog would gnaw on a bone. She stood off to the side from the others, staring down at the puddles on the ground, their calm surfaces broken by the harsh winds roaring in with a chilled breath. Lamia wanted nothing more than to walk away right then and there and forget all of her foolishness, but that was rude and inconsiderate. As much as she preferred it, she couldn't force herself to even lift a finger and get her body to listen to her thoughts. This was all stupid - she didn't know how to socialize. Why did she think it would be a good idea to stick around? Golden, doe-like eyes cast a glance over her shoulder. She should've stayed in town for just a few moments longer... Then she wouldn't have to deal with this. Was fate pulling on some strings to make this all happen?

She didn't want to admit it, but she was distracted and barely processed the words that slipped past her ears, and the sound of footsteps splashing broke her out of her stupor. Her eyes fluttered for a few moments only to see the others had moved on, and she was left behind. Should she follow them or just leave? This is your chance. They wouldn't notice if she suddenly disappeared. By the time they got inside, they'd completely forget that she had been around and just mingle and gossip like all the other students were, getting cozy and comfortable with one another. Hesitantly, Lamia took a step forward before following them at her own, languid pace, keeping her distance.

The short path way from the school's gates to the actual entrance seemed to stretch on longer and endlessly. By the time they got inside, her umbrella closed itself, dripping, rain drops running and glistening as they fell to the floor in their clamped state. Her eyes drifted over to the others, one hand coming off to take the beanie away from her head as it was stuffed into her bag, the contents inside rattling away. Did they expect her to talk or anything? She honestly wished that the ground would crack open and swallow her whole just so she wouldn't have to deal with whether or not she made the right decisions. Not that anything she did was any good.

Someone else would start the conversation. Or was she expecting too much?

As the doors swung open and their greeters entered the school, Vera's hand fell and her portion of the barrier dissipated as quickly as it had came. Mera was after her, lowering her arm as well, leaving the rain to pour outside. She was relieved to be indoors, but still cautious with these new people. Neither sister quite knew what to expect here at Beata Academy, but their first impressions weren't disagreeable; all three of the students seemed welcoming enough, if the one a little quiet.

"Thanks so much for escorting us," Mera said, smiling at the trio as they tried to dry off and warm up.

"We weren't sure if we were expected to just barge in," her sister added with a laugh, rolling her suitcase to sit up beside her. She extended a hand to the boy, first, who she was closer tom and then to Lamia. "I'm Vera Kaine, by the way," she said. "And this is my sister Mera." Mera, too, extended her hand, to Erin.

"Pleasure to meet y'all," Mera said.

Magic shook the girl's hand. Vera and Mera? They were an interesting pair of twins that's for sure. With most new students he would ask about their gift, but he didn't need to do so seeing how they displayed it for him and the two others already. The winter prefect shifted his weight hearing a smalls splash as he did so. He looked down and notice a small puddle developed where he stood from his clothes dripping water that it had adsorbed being in the rain earlier.

Mason gave off a sigh, and took off his soaking Jacket revealing a similarly soaked shirt below. The shirt was just the normal school uniform shirt, with a tie matching the house color he was in. Using the hand that wasn't holding the jacket he pushed his wet hair back and away from his eyes. After doing so he looked back at the girls. "Well most students usually show up, and look for the office to get stuff taken care of. Or they usually run into other students."

He ended up resting he jaceket over one of his shoulder's freeing up his hands.
"Anyway. Nice to meet you too. Just call me Magic. I'm one of the prefects around here." He said to them. Though he wasn't sure if they knew what that was.

Vera and Mera. Interesting names. Then there was Magic. Also a weird name. It didn't bother Erin. In fact, she was just glad to finally meet someone here at the academy. With all of the students here, there really wasn't anyone that wanted to talk to her. Sure she could talk to others, but she was still trying to explore the whole campus. When Mera extended her hand, Erin quickly grabbed it casually yet firmly, giving it a good shake. "I'm Erin Gallagher. It's a pleasure!" she replied before turning to Magic. "It's good to meet you too, Magic." It felt weird calling him that, but if that was what he preferred... Her eyes then moved towards Lamia with a curious glance. "And you are..?" She was always up for meeting new people, but it kind of looked like this girl didn't really want to be here. However, Erin was suddenly caught off guard by the use of "y'all." What did that even mean?

Lamia almost flinched when she realized that Vera offered her hand, and for a few moments, she nearly took it. Hesitantly, it hung awkwardly in mid-air, dangling loosely as she tried to think. A flash of red stains appeared for a few moments in her mind, and she drew back. Should she? How likely would someone be in danger if she did anything? Was anyone taking into mind her reluctance and judging her for it? Without a second thought, she shook the older girl's hand before snatching it away once the deed was done. "U-uhm... h-hello." Lamia mumbled as she turned her head away again, only meeting Vera's eyes for a split second before her gaze dropped down to the academy's floor. The ball of her right foot dug itself in nervously, and she half almost took a look over at Magic to silently ask him what to do only to stop herself before he noticed that she wasn't comfortable.

Taking a deep breath, Lamia smiled weakly, her fingers practically trying to destroy her umbrella's handle by this point. Her stuttering made conversing difficult and if case came to case, Magic would have to repeat everything she said because she was so quiet. She should've stayed in town longer. Then they wouldn't be stuck with her. Whenever she had to talk to someone else, something bad was bound to happen. One more word from her, and she'd seem like a complete idiot in a group of people. And how the hell was she supposed to be the senior in this group? Idiot. Think... Think... Lamia was tempted to stay quiet, to let everything stretch on until Magic wound up answering the question for her. But it was so awkward and with the spotlight on her... It'd be rude to make him do that for her.

She'd always been terrible at this. "Lamia... N-nice to m-m-meet you."

The girl with the awkward handshake was overlooked because Vera was nothing if not polite, but viewing the hesitancy in Lamia out of the corner of her eye Mera couldn't help but cock an eyebrow. She didn't say anything, though, and addressed the trio instead. "Magic," she said, filling the hall with her clear voice as she tested the word. She gave a half-smile to the dark-haired boy. What a strange name... what a strange place, though. She turned her gaze to the redheaded European. "Erin. And..." She looked over at the stuttering girl, her a mixture of pity and amusement in her gaze. "Lamia, was it, darling?" The "g" dropped at the end of the pet name, but Mera's accent seemed slightly more controlled than her sister's, like she had practiced her diction to increase clarity.

Vera looked confused at Magic's explanation. She was a little disappointed that they weren't a welcoming committee, honestly, but she didn't say anything regarding it other than an "oh." She didn't want to leave the three they walked in with just yet, so she decided to start conversation. "Where're you from?" she asked Erin, curious.

"Isn't it obvious, V? She's Irish," Mera claimed, sure of herself. "More importantly, what can y'all do?" She asked the three of them. They were all at this academy for a reason; they had interesting abilities, each and every one of them. She was genuinely curious, and while a bit direct, what better way to find out than just ask them?

"Oh, Mera," Vera laughed, a bit uneasy. "They don't have to share if they don't want to." She didn't say how curious she was too, though.

It was another common thing for people to ask about the gifts, and abilities and such so it didn't really bother Magic too much. Though he wondered why Vera had uneasiness in her tone. He titled his head slightly as he heard another crack of thunder. The sound seemed like it would go for a while, but all the sudden it stopped abruptly. Well It didn't stop exactly, but Magic stop the sound vibrations from reaching the group's ears. Though they might not know what his gift was just based on that. They would probably think something strange just happened and not think much of it.

He looked back to the two girls then said. "My gift is Sound Manipulation." He told them, not really expecting a reaction from the two girls. His gray-green eyes looked over to Lamia. Should most likely lie about her gift seeing how she never even told him.,

Erin simply smiled when Vera had asked where she was from. She went to answer but was quickly stopped by Mera who had guessed it right. Not that she minded. It was interesting to listen to these two talk with their different accent-- the slow speech and the new words. "I guess the red hair gave it away," she joked, knowing it was obviously that combined with the way that she talked. However, she paused when Magic began to speak, saying that his power was sound manipulation. It took her a minute to put the strange-sounding thunder and his ability together, but when she did, her eyes grew wide with excitement. "Pretty good," she said, her excitement turning into a small smirk. "I'd show off my power too if I could. I don't think any of you would like me to take over your bodies though. My gift is possession. It's really hard though." She said it so nonchalantly, but honestly, she was hoping for some kind of surprised reaction from anyone standing there. She'd like to know that her power was at least as cool as the sound manipulation thing or the barriers.