The Informal (Open to any loser without a date)

Owen watched Madison somewhat hungrily, looking for some kind of indication that she was going to be okay or that she wasn't going to be okay. It had only been a little while since he had visited her, but sometimes, in cases such as this, people got worse in a matter of hours. As he studied her, however, he could tell that she was definitely doing better, even if it was just a little.

"I'm sure you didn't jinx it," Owen said. He trailed off as he watched Logan roll by on his chair, holding a-- Was that a 6-pack? Weren't they in the infirmary? He wondered how on earth some of the kids were able to get alcohol here.

Louis looked at girl, wondering why she seemed to dislike him already. "Yes, I know what fun is. But what fun could a group of random students in an infirmary do?" He asked tilting his head, being honest with his question. "And I never implied something was goin to go wrong." Louis pointed out. He glanced over to the girl and saw another guy talking to her. They seemed to be friends, and Louis wondered why he even saw anything in her. The tall blonde gave a sigh, and sat down on an empty chair near the edge of the group of people. Alcohol? I should've assumed Jake wasn't the only drinker here. He gave a slight smile at the thought of his friend.

What fun could a group of random students in an infirmary do? More importantly, what kind of question was that? The corners of her lips turned upward into a wry smile, deep blue eyes staring at the taller boy at its very corners. "Anyone who asks that kind of question most definitely doesn't know what fun is~" An uncharacteristic voice spelled out through the room, one that didn't match her tired and bored features or the unamused glint hanging through her irises. Before Nicola could increase the degree of mischievous harassment she was displaying, Madison had wound up saying something that threw her off. Paralysis? Jinxing it? Wasn't she just... Oh, fuck. Of course, of course, of fucking course.

Resting her chin within the palm of her hand, her mind began to wander off, scavenging through the previous events that had thrown her friend to the infirmary in the first place. Demonic monsters, some creepy as hell hallucination that she had called her mom, falling out the window from a two-story building and being knocked unconscious. It would've been a blessed miracle to not have some kind of injury from that kind of fall. Don't people normally get hurt from those things? Granted, the plunge down to the courtyard may or may not have been cushioned by distorted amalgamations of some sort and there was the shrub... or bush or something... and well, they're in a school filled with supernaturals. Would they be somewhat immune to those--- No, that would be dumb. It's not like their genes were coding for a mutation that enhanced their physical capabilities unless they had superstrength or hyper speed or anything along those lines. Nicola let out a sigh, shaking her head in frustration. "Hate to be the bearer of bad news and all, but you probably jinxed it." Probably. Hopefully not.

In note of bad news and series of unfortunate events, a scarcely visible bead of sweat fell down from her forehead when she saw the glass bottle in nurse boy's hand. Alcohol? As much of an advocate as she was to enjoying herself and having fun in any way possible - even if it meant bending the rules here and there -, being reprimanded by her brother again wasn't something she was looking forward to. God, if Hieta even saw that she was here, the likeliness that he'd forbid her from getting close to her friends again was a bit too high for comfort. Besides that, the infirmary was a place to get better, not throw someone's health into an even more detrimental state. Wasn't this hypocritical or something?

Her hand came up as she loudly cleared her throat. "Do you wanna have a shorter life?" Too many side effects of alcohol that pointed towards a not-so-fun life after all. Then again, was that brief moment where you're going crazy and wild worth cutting your years short? Her face contorted to a grimace as she found her fingers clasping onto one of the bottles and twisting the cap open. A pungent aroma filled the air, lips touching the tip of the glass and the sharp liquid trickled down her throat slowly without so much as a hesitation.

Here's to hoping her brother never ever hears about this rendezvous.

The mention of a shorter life juxtaposed by Nicola's eagerness made Logan grin. "Well you're an interesting one," he said, taking a thoughtful swig of his own. Taking it from his lips and giving a long ah, leaning back in his chair, he added, "But isn't it a little past your bedtime?" He'd been examining her, seeing how blunt and cold she was to everyone. She kind of seemed like a bitch. There was no hesitance in the sentence. And of course, with her stomach-lurching comment towards Madison, the girl found a smile in someone standing up to Nicola, if only for a little jab. She stayed silent on the issue Jake was discussing. She hadn't really been paying attention.

Nicola contradicted his statement. Had she really done that? Owen gave Nicola a significant look, hoping to communicate that what she said would put bad thoughts into Madison's head. They had to be optimistic, they had to at least show her they had hope, even if she didn't have any of her own.

In his chair, he sat back, pulling his right ankle up to rest on his left knee, relaxing as much as he could. He watched the other students that had somehow found their way to this place. Quietly, he wondered what might have brought them here.

Louis gave a sigh and sat back in his chair. He glanced from student to student not really knowing what to say. He listened in on the conversation about someone jinxing something and was confused. Do they really believe in jinxes? "Don't worry, I think you'll be fine." He gave a smile towards Madison.

The blonde could see some students were hurt but wondered why the others were here. "So besides the hurt people, did the rest of you just not have a date?" He glanced around hoping no one would snap at him again.

Nicola's smile widened a little. Would you like at that? Nurse boy wasn't some happy, go-lucky and hardworking diligent student who didn't have any other life; he could actually joke around. Placing the bottle on the nightstand beside her, the liquid slushing around upon impact, she gave a small shrug. Interesting was such a boring word. If anything, according to possible studies, everyone was 'interesting' because nobody in the world was the exact same. Hell, they were in a school where the students were abnormal and considered freaks by everyone outside. Couldn't he have found a better way to describe her? Surely with his brilliant mind he could've chosen a better term or phrase to use. Of course, she wouldn't mind doing it for him, to which she gladly did. "Just someone with a few screws loose." It wasn't too far from the truth. Smart and bright yet abrasive and direct - she would tell someone embarrassing dares that would cost their virginity if she felt like it.

"But I don't feel like sleepin' tonight, daddy~" A teasing tone had laced into her voice, but her face remained as tired and bored as ever. Juxtaposition was her middle name. She stretched her arms a little, blue eyes catching Owen's knowing look, she didn't know if it was the small bit of alcohol getting to her head or not, but it took her a few moments to put two and two together. What had they been talking about again...? Oh right, Madison. Glancing over at the girl in question and back to her taller peer, Nicola let out a deep sigh, shaking her head. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, she was oh-so-rudely by Louie or Louise or whatever his name was.

A frown deepened on her features. What the hell was he doing, injecting himself into a conversation that he had no part in? Shooting the boy her own questioning stare, Nicola grasped onto the bottle again, her own mind debating whether to gulp it down or leave it for later. It wasn't that she believed in jinxes or anything - hell, superstitions weren't even scientifically proven and they were born back in the medieval eras when people were stupid -, but the fact that this guy was going around and giving someone false hope was dumb. He didn't even know what the hell happened that brought them to the infirmary yet... or Madison, anyway. There was no way she was staying stuck in another bed again when Hieta was already confining her to her room.

With another sip, Nicola found herself holding back from lashing out at Louis, but there was no way she was sugar-coating. "Dude, don't even say anything when you don't know why she's here." Owen might like the idea of being optimistic, but it wasn't that she was being negative. There was a difference between negativity and being logical. And she was far more logical than anything with her rational way of thinking.

Didn't this guy love asking the most boring of questions possible?

An exasperated sigh left her as she kicked her leg up to the wooden table adjacent to the cot. "'ya know, there's something called visitin' friends."

Logan seemed a little taken aback by what Nicola had said. That was a bit more...promiscuous than he'd expected from her. He raised his eyebrow, leaning forward, resting his arms on his knees. "Sorry," he said. "I don't know what you're getting at, but you're a little too young for me." And too much of a bitch. He held that back, behind the feign of a confident smile.

It seemed that Nicola had moved on from Louie, that she had begun to prey on Logan, but she whipped back to Louie, and this time began to attack any hope she had. Madison gritted her teeth, and let out a soft yet bold, "Shut up." Her mouth had begun to form into something more, but was left open. That was good enough. Her mouth was a pensive frown.

Owen was prepared to step in and say something. He had been content to merely sit and observe the others, but when Nicola's words became borderline nasty, he shifted in his chair, unsure of whether he ought to do anything. The drink she was having made him feel uncomfortable. He had seen a few of his friends at home drink underage, and it had never ended in a good way. Granted, she wasn't drinking a lot, but he still worried.

Madison's interjection dragged him from his trip down memory lane. Owen's mouth hung open, ready to say something to Nicola, but he was too shocked to do anything. Soft-spoken Madison had finally spoken up. Now he was silent to watch what would happen.

Louis shrunk back in this chair when Nicola snapped at him. Suddenly, he wished he was a turtle. "S--Sorry." He mumbled. Honestly, he felt like a total loser not standing up for himself. But who could argue with someone like that? She was almost as bad as Maria. Except Maria was just a bitch in general, this girl just seemed to hate people.

Out of the corner of his consentration he heard someone say shutup. His head turned towards the voice and he saw Madison looking like she was about to punch someone. Great. I really hope I didn't start a fight. The blonde wondered why he even came here in the first place.

She only let out another exasperated sigh with Logan's comment, not even bothering with a response. Too young, huh? They were probably only two years apart. Did she look that much like a kid? The surprised look on Owen's face at her comment and the way that he seemed to be itching uncomfortably with each sip she took. What, did he think she was going to get drunk? Nicola shook her head, carelessly plopping the bottle of alcohol down onto the table with clink! indicating its arrival from the air to wood. With Louis' apology, she waved a hand to dismiss it without thinking. That was, until the seemingly possible happened.

A quiet, almost hesitant voice trying to be brave and bold speaking up. 'Shut up' were the words that rang clear that turned Nicola's face towards the source, a dull gleam in her eyes as her features hardened. Every urge of her wanted to criticize Owen for his blind optimism, to reference a silly mentor by the name of Dr. Pangloss and what happened to him in that novella; "Everything is for the best. We live in the best of all possible worlds" he says, each time a natural catastrophe happens and poor young Candide nearly dies in his search for his lovely sweetheart, Cunegonde. Her fingers curled tightly into a balled up fist and Nicola had to stop herself from going off on the two of them. Oh, so the dog found its bark, huh? Madison was just a lost dog who obeyed its master's commands, unable to speak up and staying on the sidelines. She wasn't the kind to try and speak up against others. And here she was, doing her all to get Nicola to seal her lips and not make another peep.

Too bad, so sad. What were they expecting her to say? It was stupid to ignore the facts and instill false hope; nobody could progress if they tried to let every single little thing impede them, and more so, their ignorance. Call her some dumb elitist that believed she was far more superior, but she had a mind with a conscious. Her words seemed negative, yes, but that was only because there was no other way around it. Unless Madison's gift came with increased endurance and her back was as strong as iron, then plummeting two stories down - bush or not -, she was bound to have gotten some kind of spinal injury. Her cat-like gaze narrowed dangerously with dangerous slits, her only response being brief. "It is what it is." The color of her irises weren't the deep blue they normally were, slowly transforming themselves into a bloody scarlet, flickers of demonic energy flying around like sparks.

Just because she had said it that way didn't mean she wanted Madison to be injured. There was nothing they could fucking do about it. It was her fucking fault that Madison was hurt. Did they think she didn't care at all? Was that their only goddamn impression of her? A part of her knew that she asked for it with her constant little jabs at others to poke fun, using their suffering to fuel her own enjoyment, but she immediately concealed it away. How stupid. Ignorant. No human can escape a fall from that altitude without some kind of damage - besides those with regenerative powers or enhanced endurance or anything along those lines. Madison was weak, that was the truth. Unable to hold a blade properly and only scarcely learning to defend herself, she was not going to get lucky. Life didn't work that way. She. Was. Injured.

Why did they bother with stupid false hope?

She wasn't going to sugarcoat something as serious as this.

A low growl rumbled in her throat, and Nicola bit down on her lip, turning away from the two before unnecessary words were said. Her eyes had clenched closed in her refusal to see the two people that were supposed to be friends. Friends were supposed to be valuable treasures who tried to understand each other's perspectives and help them. Yeah, she got it. A bit of optimism was fine, but denying the fucking fact that she was hurt was dumb and pathetic. They could easily say something like, "Oh, you're hurt but the damage doesn't seem too bad" or anything, but to downright get furious with her because she concluded from factual evidence that Madison had came into an encounter with possible back problems? Tch. It was like blindly following the Bible and the word of God. What was this? The sixteenth century? "It's not gonna do 'ya any good if you don't face reality." She wasn't fucking Voltaire. Their stupid blind optimism was bringing an assault that could be avoided if they just cultivated their own garden and took responsibility of the actions that they made that led to this great outcome.

Madison felt good about herself for a split second, until Nicola's eyes began to change color, like ink dilating into a fish tank. A rounded fear appeared in her own. It was bad to feel the itch of danger, the creep of fear, but it was worse when she was injured. She wouldn't be able to run if Nicola went crazy. She gave a glance to the lightbulb beside her, out of her reach, and her mind raced with sour thoughts. Wasn't this how this began? Nicola made everything worse. Madison wished she would just go, disappear, something. She didn't change. She never changed.
It was Logan who wheeled forward, as Madison had nothing to say. He had a stern look to him, despite the silly unwillingness to stand. "That's enough." Perhaps he wasn't phased by the change in her eye color, or perhaps he didn't even notice it. "Don't make me throw you out."

Owen's spine prickled uncomfortably. He sat forward, hands in his lap, and looked from Nicola to Logan.
"Nicola," he said, a warning tone in his voice. He desperately hoped she wouldn't take it the wrong way. He had noticed what the others had seemed to ignore, the change in Nicola's eyes, and the way that she spoke no longer made it sound like she was buzzed. "I'm sorry if I'm not being realistic enough. I've never been one to look on anything but the bright side of things."

He wanted Madison to be happy. He wanted her and Nicola to have a normal, healthy friendship. Of course, he had forgotten he was at a school filled with teenagers who had magical powers and it would be a miracle if anything went right for even one day. But he had been raised to be optimistic. Owen knew, if he really thought about it, that Madison would suffer some kind of permanent damage, but all he knew was positivity.

He sat up once again, his hands remaining in his lap as he squared his shoulders.
"Let's just-- Let's all just relax." Against his own words, Owen didn't relax, waiting for the others to do something first.

Louis sat there, scared of what would happen. ”Hey now...I agree with Owen, let’s all calm down.” He said with a slight chuckle. ”Didn’t someone here bring any booze?” Maybe that would get their minds off all this pointless shit and loosen everyone up a bit. Louis was usually very shy and never drank, but a drink or two kinda sounded nice.

Logan threatening to throw her out was annoying, but the threat felt empty, as if a nurse of all people could do anything to her. He could just heal, heal, and heal some more. Her fingers curled up into a tight fist, knuckles white from the tension as she slowly backed off. Holding her hands up in a mock-surrendering gesture, Nicola only shook her head irritably when both Owen and Louis jumped into the situation as well, telling everyone to calm down. Yeah, yeah... "All calm down". She was the only one that had to. With a deep breath, she found herself slamming the wooden nightstand, the bottle of beer bouncing up and down close towards the edge. It was just a cat whisker away or two from tilting, the liquid spilling and creating a puddle of mess on the floor. Her head hurt too much - she should stop drinking.

Clearing her throat, Nicola glanced over at Owen halfheartedly out of the corner of her eyes. People and their optimism. She wanted to kick something, to lunge forward to stop her, to just do something that would be of some kind of use. Instead, she let out a strangled, frustrated breath, only staring as the words subconsciously spilled out of her mouth: "I relent! Jeez." Kicking her feet up and leaning back, her eyes fluttered to a close, a searing pain pulsing through her temples. Demons, demons, demons. Could she ever get a break? Another sigh left her, and once she reopened them, the irises were blue again. Nicola massaged the bridge of her nose before feverishly shaking her head again. Too much. Shouldn't have stored up all the energy again. Should've gone and let her sword absorb it first. Too unhealthy.

She had to wonder if Owen being around was affecting her too much. He was of light and demons hated that. Ugh, she should really be more afraid of him, shouldn't she? "Bright side. Heh, right." Those words ticked her off. Bright this, bright that. It might've been her natural hatred of light or the fact that she wasn't allowed out in the sun very often, but those words were irritating her beyond belief. No need to bring this topic up anymore. There was Louis...

"That's not booze, smart guy."