*It is the day after the shade attack. Alison, San, Kallahandra, Shunpei, and Shalohim are all in school; only Shiko is noticeable by her absence.* *We open in history class.* Bell: *rings* Shiko's Seat: *remains empty* Students: *wait eagerly for the guaranteed excitement that is Kal's class* Kallahandra: *stumbles into the class, half-asleep from clean-up duty* Kallahandra: *got about ten minutes worth of sleep* Male Student: Miss Miral, are you okay? Kallahandra: Huh? Male Student: ^-^; You look kinda tired. Male Student: *has big crush on Kal* Kallahandra: *puts down her briefcase* Yeah, yeah, s'fine... Kallahandra: *huge yawn* Male Student: Can I get you some coffee? Kallahandra: *gives him grateful, albeit sleepy, smile* That would be great, thanks... Male Student: ^-^ Just a sec! *dashes off to steal coffee from the teacher's room, braving more dangers than Prometheus could dream of* Kallahandra: *opens the briefcase* Today, class... Male Student: *comes back with coffee, almost instantly* Here you go, Miss Miral! Kallahandra: *takes the coffee, gives him another grateful smile* Thank you. Male Student: ^-^ *sits at desk* Kallahandra: *sips* Today, class... I have a worksheet and a video. Female Student: *gasps* No way! Male Student: 0.0 Kallahandra: *yawns again, begins pushing a TV into the middle of the room, ignoring the students’ protests* Male Student: ;.; Male Student: *feels betrayed* Alison: *feels bad for poor, tired Kal* Kallahandra: *after pushing the TV, turns to face the class* I'm really sorry, guys, but I had an awfully late night last night... Male Student: *anxious* Are the other teachers making you work too hard? This is really supposed to be a slack class to teach... Kallahandra: No, no... I just had tons of papers to grade, that's all... I teach night school, too... Male Student: Really? Kallahandra: *is lying through her teeth* Kallahandra: Yup. Male Student: Wow. You're really devoted to teaching, aren't you? That's awesome! Kallahandra: *sweatdrop* Thank you... Male Student: ^-^ You're welcome! *shuts up to watch the video and do the worksheet, like the good little nerd he is* Kallahandra: *passes out papers* So, just for today, please cooperate, and tomorrow I promise we'll do something fun. Male Student: ^___^ Alison: *does worksheet without complaint* *Skip to math class.* Shalohim: *not looking any more tired than normal, although he occasionally rubs his temples as if he has a headache* Shunpei: *is erasing board from the last class* Alison: *Hasn't really said much of anything to Shal. Not avoiding him, just can't seem to find much to say.* Shalohim: 6.6 Shalohim: *Nihongo de* "Ne, Shunpei-san - did your hunt go well last night? I was afraid we might have left too many shades for you and Lady Kallahandra to handle..." Shunpei: *Nihongo mo* "No, we were fine... Although Kal insisted on staying up until dawn just to make sure. She didn't get much sleep..." Shalohim: Sou ka na... Alison: *could confirm that, if she could understand what they were saying* Alison: *opens her book* Bell: *rings* Shalohim: *jumps slightly, rubs his temples* Alison: Mr. Hayashi, can I please change my seat? I can't see the board very well. *Trans: Shal is making her feel jumpy and nervous; not his fault, he just is.* Shalohim: 6.6 Shunpei: *looks between them* I'm sorry, Alison, but the classroom is full. We don't have room to move you. Shunpei: *smiles apologetically* I'll try and write bigger for you. Shalohim: *tries not to look visibly relieved, mostly succeeds* Alison: *shrugs* *Fade to lunch, where Shal has taken his hint and is sitting by himself, away from Alison, Judy, Val, and Tamisha.* Shalohim: *has food, is not eating it* Alison: *wants to invite him to sit with them, but can't seem to* Alison: *feels horribly guilty about it, but something is preventing her* Valentine: Gee, what's wrong with Damien? And where's Shiko? Tamisha: *shrugs* Everyone has sick days. Alison: Yeah... Sick... *is not eating* Judy: I hope she gets better soon - it's just not the same without her being genki all over the place... Kallahandra: *comes into the cafeteria, notices Shal alone, goes over and sits by him* Kallahandra: *hug* Hey, Shal... Shalohim: *half-smiles at her* Hi, Lady Kallahandra... Kallahandra: What's wrong with Ali? Shunpei: *also enters cafeteria, goes over to where Kal and Shal are* Hey, guys... Shalohim: Hi... *half-smiles at him, too* San: *is on lunch duty elsewhere* Shalohim: 6.6 One of her friends was - was a shade... and it attacked her house last night, and I - I had to... 6.6 Kallahandra: Oh, Shal... *hugs him again, for longer* Shalohim: *be's hugged, half-smiles at her again* Kallahandra: It's not her fault... It's so strange the first time you really see one of us... Alison: *Sees Kal, Shunpei, and Shal. Heart twinges, but still, she can't get herself to do anything.* San: *patrols through cafeteria, looking exhausted* Shalohim: I know... and I was so close to my true form, too, there were so many... Shalohim: *not boasting, just saying* Kallahandra: *nodsnods* Exactly. Kallahandra: She just needs time to adjust. Shalohim: I - guess... Shunpei: *gives him a big smile* She'll come around soon. Shunpei: Don't worry about it. Shalohim: *smiles a little bit, but for real* Hontou? Shunpei: Hai! ^___^V Shalohim: ^-^ Arigatou, Shunpei-san, Lady Kallahandra. Alison: *pushes her food around* *And the scene fades again, this time to Latin class.* San: *As soon as both Shal and Alison are sitting down, comes up to them. To Alison, in simple Latin -* "Are you all right?" Alison: *nods* "Yes. Thank you." San: *smiles, then turns to Shal and switches to Nihongo* Daijoubu ka, Sharu? Shalohim: *nods* Un, daijoubu... *feels a lot better all of a sudden, smiles at San* Alison: *begins copying down the assignments on the board* Shalohim: *also starts working* San: *has been worrying most of the night about Shal, which is the real reason he's exhausted; smiles back* Shalohim: ^-^ San: *goes back to teaching the class* *Fade once more, to the end of class this time.* Alison: *has been thinking a lot* Bell: *rings* Shalohim: *gathers up his stuff, feeling better about things in general* Alison: *doesn't move* Shalohim: *heads for the door* Alison: *seems to make up her mind, grabs her backpack and stands up* Sha- Damien. Shalohim: *turns around* Hai? *looks attentive and innocent as usual* San: *keeps his eyes down and his ears open* Alison: Will you... I mean... can you walk me home? Shalohim: Sure, Miss Alison! San: *makes no movement at all, just corrects papers* Alison: *smiles just a little* Thanks. Shalohim: ^-^ Alison: *heads for the front of the school* Shalohim: *walks with her, trying to talk about things that are completely non-angel/demon/CHAD/shade-related* Alison: *after a few minutes of silence as they walk down the street, says* I'm sorry, Shal... Shalohim: ?.? For what? Alison: For ignoring you and... and asking to be somewhere else in math... Shalohim: Oh... It's all right! I - I know it's kind of - of - awkward... 6.6 Alison: *out of the blue, stops and throws her arms around him* No, I'm really, really sorry... I had no right to be so awful... Shalohim: *holds her carefully, as if she might break* It's all right... Really, it's all right... Alison: *lets him go, blushing* Sorry, I... Alison: Uhm... Shalohim: ^-^ It's all right. Alison: o^__^o Well, uh... this is my stop, I guess... *they've just approached her house* Shalohim: Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess... I'm going to check on Shiko-san, do you want me to tell her anything for you? Alison: Tell her everything's okay at school, and the girls are wondering if she's okay. Shalohim: I will. Alison: See you tomorrow, Shal. *gives him a quick kiss - and not on the cheek, either - then hops into her house* Shalohim: *smiles a little foolishly in her general direction before heading off to Shiko's house* *Lunch, two days after the shades; Shiko is back in school, as genki as ever. She is sitting with Alison, Shal, Tamisha, Valentine, and Judy, since Kal has lunch duty, Shunpei is grading tests, and San is - somewhere. As usual.* Valentine: I'm so glad you're all right, Shiko! I heard that something really awful happened the other day, and then when you weren't here yesterday... Tamisha: Yeah... Shiko: ^-^ Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm really fine! I just had a little bit of a cold, and I didn't want to spread it around... Alison: *as if to prove the point, scoots away from Shiko, then adds jokingly* Hey, don't give me your cooties! Shiko: =p I'm ALL BETTER NOW, thank YOU. ^-^ Shalohim: *sweatdrops politely* Alison: ^____^ Shalohim: *shifting conversation topics adroitly* How is Josh-kun? Shiko: *drops into Japanese almost automatically* "I blurred his memories. He thinks that some robbers tried to break in and you scared them off with a butcher knife... He can't handle what really happened yet. I'll tell him someday, but for now..." *shrugs* Shalohim: *nods* Wakatteru... Alison: *has no clue what Shiko just said, gives her a slightly hurt look* Shiko: ^-^;;; *indicates VT&J's presence* Shiko: *not trying to exclude Alison, plans on telling her everything later* Alison: *nods and understands she'll be told later* Principal: *making announcement through the loudspeakers* I apologize for this interruption of your lunch break, but we have some very serious news... Principal: Two days ago, several people were killed in an accident downtown - including some of our students. I would like to take this time to list the names of the deceased, and hold a brief moment of silence in their memory. Counselors will be available for the rest of the day. Alison: *shuts up and listens* Principal: *recites several names; Rachel's is among them* Shalohim: 6.6 Shiko: *closes her eyes and bows her head, whispering a brief prayer in her native language for the souls of the dead* Valentine: *is quiet and solemn* Tamisha: *doesn't say anything sarcastic for once* Judy: *stabs at her salad with a fork, looking upset* Alison: *leans over to the side and rests her head on Shal's shoulder, an expression of comfort for him, but for herself also* Shalohim: *leans back, feeling a little better* Principal: *after the moment of silence, changes topics very abruptly* One reminder - the juniors' class trip and picnic at the historic mountain lodge is in a week, so make sure you have your permission slips signed and turned in soon. *gets off the loudspeakers at long last* Shiko: !.! I almost forgot about that trip! Alison: *turned in her permission slip a week ago* ?.? Shiko: *goes chibi, panics* Ah! I have to get my aunt's signature! I really really really wanna go! AH! Shalohim: *sweatdrops more; would go, has no one to sign the slip* Alison: It's okay, Shiko... You still have a week. Tamisha: Yeah, don't freak. *yawns* I'm not even going. It's a load of bull. Bunch of bugs, and you can't even see anything interesting... Judy: *gives Tamisha a quick glare* Well, *I* think it'll be cool. Hey, Damien, you coming? Shalohim: Anouuu... Alison: *notices Shal's look, pokes him gently and whispers* You know, lots of kids live alone... You just have to talk to your counselor about it, they'll let you go... Shalohim: *blushblush* Anou - okay... Shiko: ^-^ Judy: ^-^ Cool! Tamisha: 9.9 Valentine: *makes mental note to try and find her permission slip to turn in* Shalohim: ^-^;;; *Fade out on lunch.* *A week later, the day of the class picnic has finally dawned - or, rather, it will dawn in half an hour, as everyone is actually meeting in front of the school at five-thirty a.m. in order to be at the lodge around nine for the educational tour. Shiko is there, managing a rather sleepy genkiness; Shal is with her, not looking at all tired.* Alison: *is asleep on her feet, swaying slightly* San: *standing with the chaperone group, a light coat over his hot Youji-like outfit* Judy: *an early morning person, jumps around trying to get everyone (especially Alison) to wake up* Kallahandra: *grew up out in the hot deserts, does NOT like cold, even early morning cold* Kallahandra: *looks very irritable* Shalohim: *with Shiko, wanders over by Kal* Lady Kallahandra, is everything okay? Kallahandra: *muttermutter* Peachy. Bloody peachy. Shiko: e_e Kal, do you need a jacket or something? I'm sure I can "find" one behind a bush or somethin'... Judy: *bounces up to them* Hey, don't look so glum! We're going on a FIELD TRIP! And it's not THAT early in the morning! Alison: *represses urge to strangle her* Yes... trip... Shiko: Yes, it is, but I'll forgive you this once... e_e *joking* Shalohim: *is slightly cold himself, gives San one wistful glance that's practically too quick to be noticed by anyone* Kallahandra: *puts an arm around Shal, partly for his comfort, partly to stay upright* Where the bloody hell are the buses? Judy: They'll be here soon, I think! Alison: *leans against a pillar* Zzzzzzzz... Alison: _._ San: *chats calmly and sleepily with the chaperones* Shiko: *trying to keep Judy away from Kal, to lessen the mayhem* Ne, Judy, tell me about the lodge! I just moved here this year, and I've never heard of it... Judy: *pauses in mid-bounce* The lodge? Um - okay... Judy: Well, it was built ages ago by some early settlers as a meeting hall for all the little cabins that were scattered in the mountains... Judy: So it was kind of like an unofficial court, tavern, and general hanging-out place for about a hundred years. Then everything around here got more modernized, and it became a resort sort of thing for rich people, like during the Twenties and stuff. After the Depression, it got mostly abandoned... Judy: Now it's just this big old lodge, where you can get brochures and see where people got hung and how they made butter and stuff. It's sort of touristy, but neat. There are supposed to be lots of ghosts and things at night... *shivers a little* But no one stays up there that late. Buses: *arrive* Shalohim: *doesn't see buses* 0.0 Shiko: *also ignoring buses* 0.0 WOW! That sounds AWESOME! Alison: Zzzzzz? e.e? Judy: Too bad we're not staying overnight. Look, here're the buses! *bounces towards them* Shalohim: *in Hebrew* "Do you think there might be shades nesting up there?" Alison: *trudges along behind Judy* e.e... Shiko: *same* "I doubt it, but we'll keep an eye out, anyway. Come on, let's get on the bus!" *heads for the bus she's supposed to be on* Shalohim: *follows obediently, even though it happens to be the bus that San is chaperoning - oh, and Alison and Judy are on it, too, just to keep everything interesting* Kallahandra: *heads for Shiko's bus, waving to Shal before entering* Shalohim: *waves back* Shiko: *grabs a window seat before they're all gone* e_ev San: *gets on his bus* Alison: *sits next to some girl she knows only vaguely, so she won't have to listen to Judy chatter* Shalohim: *sits voluntarily with Judy to spare the other poor teenage souls on the bus from her chatter; since he's awake, figures it won't hurt him* Judy: *pleased, talks with him about randomized stuff; at least is interesting about it, unlike many people* Shalohim: *is a good listener, employs that skill and enjoys the conversation* Shiko: *from her window seat near the front, waves at San* Oi, kotchi! *the seat next to her is empty* San: *decides what the hell and sits next to Shiko* Shiko: ^-^ Shiko: All excited about the trip, then? e_e San: *shrugs* I like the mountains... San: They remind me of how insignificant things really are when compared to the majesty of nature... Shiko: They would, you gloomy old thing. *leans on him, preparing to go to sleep* San: ;.; It's not gloomy... Shiko: e_e Fine. I'm too tired to argue with you coherently, or even figure out what we're arguing about... San: *settles himself so she'll be more comfortable while sleeping, looks out the window over her head* Shiko: *sleeps* Zzzzzzz... *sounds cute even "zzzzzz"ing* Alison: *is across the aisle from Shiko and San, leaning on the girl next to her, who's leaning back* San: *Watches Shiko for a moment, then looks across the aisle at Alison. Gently brushes a strand of hair back into place, then shakes himself slightly and looks back out the window.* Shalohim: *is much too busy listening and talking with Judy to notice anything, of course* *After a grueling three-hour bus trip, the buses have finally arrived at the lodge, and the students pour out of them, falling into groups of friends. Shiko, Shal, and Alison end up around Kal and San, while Judy goes off with some people from her English class.* Shiko: *not sleepy any more, looks around with interest at the lodge and its surrounding forest* San: *leaves his coat on the bus, since now the sun is shining, and stands for a minute off to the side, looking off down the mountain, hands on his hips, looking incredibly hot in his Youji-outfit* Shalohim: *keeps carefully on one side of Shiko, occasionally stealing quick glances at San - but very quick ones, hardly noticeable at all* Female Chaperones: *hanging around VERY close to San, not even pretending not to drool; some are sidling up and trying to chat with him and give him their phone numbers* Shiko: *notices the chaperones as well as San's posing, rolls her eyes at all of them* Alison: *Pouts, feeling jealous. Then wonders why the heck she should feel jealous.* Shalohim: *wishes briefly that people would leave San alone, just once, instead of always mobbing him* San: *smiles in a kind of embarrassed way and gives them all little excuses about getting back to his group* Female Chaperones: *disappointed, but let him go* Alison: *feels somewhat better* Shiko: *shakes her head* Shameless... absolutely shameless... Shalohim: Shiko-san... Kallahandra: *had to break up some rowdy boys on her bus, so didn't get any sleep* -.- She's right. He is. Shalohim: *being unusually bold* Well, so are they. Kallahandra: True. Shiko: Anyway, forget them! I wanna take the tour! Shalohim: ;;; Shiko: ^-^;;; Judy got me kind of psyched up about it, I guess... San: *returns to his group* I think that's a good idea. Shiko: ^-^ Kallahandra: What's there to learn? It's a lodge. It's in the mountains. Therefore, it's a mountain lodge. Shalohim: ;;; There's a little more to it than that, Lady Kallahandra... Kallahandra: You guys go ahead. I'm going to go find a nice, soft, patch of ground somewhere in the sun and sleep for a while. Shiko: =p Your loss! Come on, let's go! *dashes off for the line to start touring* Shalohim: *gives San a "What else is there to do?" look, shrugs, and follows Shiko* Alison: *follows; although not psyched about the idea, figures it's better than nothing* San: *follows all three of them* San: *is always interested on expanding his mind* Shiko: *drags the group along the entire two hour tour, asking lots of questions, smiling constantly, and just generally genki-ing the hell out of the whole experience* Shalohim: @.@ San: @.@ Alison: @.@;;;; Shalohim: *spends his tour following Shiko and having his mind expanded much more than really seems necessary* Alison: *Spends hers pretending to listen while playing elevator music in her vacant head. Didn't get that much sleep, because the girl next to her snored.* San: *is always ready to learn something new, happens to like learning* Shiko: *after the tour is finally over, flops down on a big comfy patch of grass* Well, that was awesome! Now when's lunch? ^-^ Shalohim: ;;; San: *sits down on a rock, so as not to get grass stains on his butt* In another hour or so, I think. Shiko: ;.; No - want food NOW... *joking* Kallahandra: *is quietly sleeping a few yards away, in the shade of a large willow tree, which happens to be her favorite tree* Alison: *flops down on the grass herself* So... tired... Shalohim: We can be quiet for an hour if you want to sleep, Miss Alison... *gives Shiko a pointed look* Shiko: *looks as sweet and cute and innocent as only she can* San: Why don't you go lie down in the shade near Kallahandra? Then you can sleep without the sun shining in your eyes. Shalohim: *nods* Alison: *nods sleepily* Kay... *Gets up and goes over there, lies down under the willow tree, close to Kal. Without realizing it, lays down on her right side facing Kal, so that each is sleeping on their side, like a yin and yang of sorts: Alison, with her red hair and grey eyes, and Kallahandra, with her black hair and blue eyes.* Shalohim: *sits down between San and Shiko, microscopically closer to San* San: *watches them sleep, amazed at the aforementioned image, and how it just naturally (or seemingly naturally) happened* Shiko: *watches them, too; sighs, suddenly serious* Why do people look so young when they're asleep? Alison: Zzzzzzz... San: All the cares of life just smooth away... They become innocent once more... Shalohim: Sou... Shiko: Yeah. I mean - lord, it makes me feel old, sometimes... San: Yeah... Shalohim: *doesn't quite understand, stays quiet* San: *shakes his head* I still remember what Kal was like... *stops himself before he can continue and say something stupid* Shalohim: *loyal* She's always been very good... San: Underneath that tough exterior... She's loyal, and kind... Shalohim: *nods* Un! Shiko: *ignoring them slightly, just in the sense of not replying; sounds thoughtful* Do I ever do that to you? Make you - feel old? San: *thinks* Shalohim: *again not really getting it, stays quiet* San: Not anymore... Shiko: ?.? San: *smiles, kind of wistfully* There's a newness and an oldness to everything. Shiko: *kind of gets it* San: Even though you haven't been around since the beginning of time, Shiko, there have always been people like you. People who are happy about life in general. People who care about everyone and everything. San: Do you understand now? Shiko: ^____^ Thanks. That's a sweet thing to say. Yes, I get it, I'm not THAT thick. Shalohim: *at both of them* ^-^ Shiko: *ruffles Shal's hair, brushing his bangs back* You need a haircut, Daemon, before someone thinks you just got out of the Sixties... Shalohim: Anouuu... ^-^;;; Shiko: ^-^ Relax for once. It's a pretty day, the sun is shining, the sky is blue, there are hawks circling and I'm going to have a talk with them soon... San: *laughs* Shalohim: *gives up and smiles at her, sparing the last second of the smile for San* San: *is just happy to be there, with them, on such a beautiful day* Shiko: In fact... *takes a quick look around, noticing that most of the people are still in the lodge or otherwise not nearby* Shiko: *screeches like a hawk - particularly, a red-tailed hawk* San: *looks upwards* Alison: *is jolted awake* No! Kallahandra: *stirs* Not now, Hassan... Kallahandra: I'm too tired... Nearest Red-Tailed Hawk: *diving down, circling at the last minute and landing daintily on Shiko's arm* San: *looks over at Alison, wondering why the first thing she said when she woke was "no"* Shalohim: *looks at San first, then at Alison, also curious* Shiko: ^-^ *didn't hear; talks to the hawk in its language, screeches and soft sounds and tilted head movements* Hawk: *talks back, entranced with the human who can understand her* Alison: *looks around wildly, then relaxes as she remembers where she is and what's going on* Shalohim: Miss Alison? Are you okay? Alison: Yeah... fine... Alison: Just a little disoriented for a minute there... Shalohim: If you're sure... San: *looks over at Shiko, then back at Alison* Alison: *notices Shiko's strange visitor* ?.? Hawk: *twitches wings nervously, what with all the humans around* Shiko: ^-^ What do you think? Alison: It's beautiful... Is it male or female? Shiko: Female. Her mate's above - I don't have enough arm strength to balance two of them... ^-^;;; She's a red-tail, her territory starts up over that way, but she includes the lodge because there aren't usually many people there but there are always mice. Hawk: *shifts nervously, beats her wings once* Shiko: *says something calming in the hawk language* Alison: Wow... Alison: Tell her I think she's beautiful. Shiko: *does so* Hawk: *preens slightly, straightening her wing feathers* Shalohim: ^-^;;; Shiko-san, isn't this a little - showy? Shiko: ^-^ I like hawks, and there aren't any in town - I just wanted to talk with her... Shiko: But you're right. *glances at the lodge, where more people are coming out* Alison: *is amazed, wishes she could do something like that* Shiko: *says something else to the hawk, then stands up and launches her back into the air* Hawk: *flaps heavily for a moment before catching a thermal; is quickly almost out of sight* Alison: *watches her fly away, feels a tremendous uplifting of her spirit* ^___^ Shalohim: ^-^ San: *has been silent, watching* Shiko: Now let's go get lunch! ^___^ Shiko: *dashes off* Kallahandra: *is still asleep* Zzzzzzz.... Shiko: *comes back* But first... Shiko: *takes out a notepad and a pencil, makes some quick sketches of San* Shalohim: ?.? San: ?.? Alison: ?.? Shiko: ^-^ I happen to know an aspiring artist who would love to draw you, San - so I'm just making him some quick notes, for reference. San: *blushes* Shiko: ^-^V Alison: *giggles* Shalohim: @.@ Shiko: Okay, NOW we can eat! *dashes off again* Alison: *follows* San: *sweatdrops* Yare yare... *strolls after them, doesn't like rushing when he can show off better going slow* Kallahandra: *turns over, still sleeping* Shalohim: *follows also, again microscopically closer to San than to Alison or Shiko* *Fade to much later, around eight or nine; there has been food, more tours, hiking, and other general outdoorsy things fit to be foisted off on teenagers. Everyone is at last getting a break to look at the stars and relax before boarding the buses for the trip home.* Kallahandra: *having awakened just after lunch and enjoyed a brief respite in the woods to demonstrate trailblazing to some of the high- schoolers, is now relaxing next to a night-blackened pond* San: *sits not too far away from Kal, gazing up at the stars* Alison: *sits next to Shal, also gazing* Shalohim: *feeling generally warm and happy; does not look at the stars, only at Kal, Alison, San, and Shiko* Shiko: *is looking at the stars, lying in the middle of the group* San: *points* Look, Shiko. Orion, the Hunter. Shiko: e_e Spiffy. The Horsehead Nebula's in there somewhere... Alison: *is kind of tired from the day's events, leans on Shal* e.e... Orion got bitten by a scorpion, didn't he? Shalohim: *leans back* I think that's the way the Greeks told it... Kallahandra: *looks up and smiles* He was the greatest hunter who ever lived. Kallahandra: Artemis, goddess of the hunt, was infatuated with him. He was the only male she ever tolerated besides her twin brother, Apollo. Kallahandra: Apollo grew jealous, and decided that Orion didn't deserve his sister's affection. Kallahandra: So, he set a great scorpion after Orion. It was the only beast that ever bested him. Shiko: Beware twin brothers, that's all I'm saying. Nothing but trouble. Shalohim: Shiko-san, I don't think that was the point of the story... And I don't think Lady Kallahandra was done, either... Kallahandra: *continuing* In remorse, Apollo helped his grieving sister hang Orion's image in the stars. Kallahandra: Now, throughout spring and summer, Orion travels the skies, just as he traveled the plains as a hunter in his lifetime. Kallahandra: And every winter, the scorpion invades the sky and causes Orion to fall once again. Alison: *entranced by the story* Wow... Shiko: Those Greeks. Bright as anything, but they thought of the weirdest explanations for stuff... Kallahandra: *For once, has a look of pure happiness on her face. Loves any and all kinds of storytelling, true or false.* Shalohim: *smiles at Kal, glad that she's happy* San: *looks up at the stars* The Horsehead Nebula... I've read about it many times in science fiction stories... Shiko: Didn't you visit it once? Shalohim: *blushblush* A long time ago... San: *nods, silently* Shiko: *shuts up* Deer: *picking his way through the edge of the forest, browsing and avoiding the densest concentrations of students; pauses and gives them a quick look* Shalohim: *looks up and sees him, smiles* Kallahandra: *notices it, quietly and calmly gets up and walks nearer to him* San: *watches Kal for a moment, then looks back up at the stars, thinking* Deer: *backs off slightly from Kal, but doesn't run away* Alison: *watches with bated breath* Kallahandra: *modifies her body language so the deer understands she won't hurt it, she just wants to talk* Deer: *stays still, curious* Kallahandra: *carefully places one hand on its right flank, and looks into its eyes* Alison: *doesn't even dare to breathe* Deer: *snorts gently in her face, not moving away* Kallahandra: *cocks her head slightly to one side, as if asking a question* San: *silently notes each zodiac sign in his mind, as well as a few other constellations* Deer: *dips head once in acknowledgement* Kallahandra: *quietly* Alison... Alison: ?.? Kallahandra: Come here, slowly. Deer: *nods again* Alison: *gets up and makes her way over, slowly and a little nervously* Deer: *stays still* Kallahandra: Put your hand next to mine, gently. Alison: *does so, feels a little shiver up her spine* Deer: *shudders slightly, but is still for another few moments* Kallahandra: *removes her hand, gently knocking Alison's out of the way in the process* Deer: *bounds off, back into the forest* Alison: *breathes* Wow... Shalohim: *smiles at both of them* Shalohim: *is just a bundle of smiles tonight* Kallahandra: *Smiles and goes back over near the pond, spends the rest of the night trailing her fingers in the water and looking generally un- Kal-like. Dreamy, wistful, that kind of stuff.* Alison: *Goes back over to where she was sitting and sits down. Has a kind of shocked feeling, like she just did something she shouldn't have.* Shiko: *at Kal, joking* =p Show-off. Copycat, too. Kallahandra: *shrugs* Shiko: *sits up and moves next to her, but doesn't say anything* San: *is lost in the stars* Shalohim: *leans on Alison, but has eyes fixed on San* Alison: *leans back, proceeds to fall asleep* Zzzzzzzz... Shalohim: *strokes her hair once or twice, softly* San: *thinking totally unfathomable thoughts about the stars that would blow any normal person's mind* San: *Is also posing, of course. His body just kind of relaxes into poses when he's not thinking about it.* Alison: e.e *snuggles into Shal* Teddy... Shalohim: !.! San: *Is knocked out of his thoughts by the soft utterance. Looks over at them and can't help but smile, they're so cute.* Shiko: *snickers* New blackmail material... hee hee... Shalohim: o!.!o Kallahandra: *Trails her long, slender fingers in the water. Fingers that could have been those of a seamstress, or a weaver, or maybe a cook. Not the kind of fingers you would expect on a warrior.* Alison: *leans into Shal's shoulder a little bit more, mumbles something about her "teddy", then is lost in oblivion* Zzzzzzzz... Shalohim: *strokes her hair again, relaxing a little* San: *looks away again, back to the stars* Kallahandra: *looks up as the buses noisily pull up to the lodge* Alison: Zzzzzzz? Shiko: >.< No - civilization - ick... San: *gets up and prepares to play the dutiful chaperone once again, rather unhappy at having to go back* Shalohim: *tries to wake Alison up gently* Miss Alison... you have to get up... Kallahandra: Mmmm... Hum... *in one graceful movement, gets up* If only I didn't have a teaching job... I'd just stay in the woods for a couple of days... train a little... commune with nature... Alison: Zzz? Shiko: Sounds great here, too. *sigh* But Josh'll be getting worried... San: And I've already used up all my sickdays for this semester... Shiko: No kidding. Alison: *half-wakes* e.e? Shalohim: Miss Alison - it's time to go... Kallahandra: Oh, well... *heads off towards a cute, young teacher she's been flirting with for the last few days, to help him load the students onto the buses* Alison: *gets up, practically sleep-walking* e.e... Shalohim: *helps guide her in the general direction of their bus* San: *motions for Shiko to go ahead* Shiko: *nods at him, goes with Shal and Alison* Judy: *is already on the bus, worn out from bouncing around all day and half-asleep* e.e San: *looks back at the forest one last time, whispers* 'Til next we meet... Farewell. San: *then heads for the buses and civilization once more* Alison: *once on-board, sits next to Shal and falls asleep on him, snuggling and calling him her teddy bear again* Shalohim: *blushes, but doesn't protest* San: *sits up-front with another chaperone, his back to them* Kallahandra: *flirts with the cute young teacher* ^,__,^ *And fade out on the peaceful, quiet scene.*