Devil's Playground (Open)

[Serenity Masterson]

First day of school in yet another town. Well, wasn't this just fucking perfect? A soft grumble being muttered through parted lips as Serenity made her way through the halls of 259.

Her grey hood pulled up and partially shielding her features from view. Long strands of blond hair falling out where they could. She moved with her hands stuffed into the front pockets of her pull over. Flare leg jeans hitting against the floor as she walked.

Most people just looked at her and dismissed her being there. There was nothing special about her so there was nothing to single out and pick on. Nor was there anything to make the guys around here think to hit on her.

Yep, life was sweet right now. Well aside from being stuck in this place for the next few hours. But she had a plan for that. That being the reason she had bypassed all the classes and headed up to the roof. She had heard from a group of cackling girls that it was THE place to get away when you did not want to get caught doing something. So, of course that is where she would be.

Pushing open the door to the area she stepped out, emerald eyes looking around, scanning for any signs of life.

Good. Nobody around.

Grinning to herself she would advance further out into the open, finding a table and hopping up onto it. Crossing her legs indian style she would remove her hands from her pocket finally. Bringing out a pack of cigs and a lighter.

It was not long before she had one between soft lips and was lighting it up. An appreciative sigh coming forth as she took that first drag. Gods it had been almost 3 hours since her last cig and she was about ready to snap somebody's neck in two.

Reaching up, she pushed back the hood to her jacket, letting those beautiful and well defined features come into the light of day. Her eyes squinting at the sun and a growl sounding in her chest.

Fucking bright and sunny day. Made it harder to get into trouble. Give her a nice gloomy day and she would be happy. As it were though, she would exhale, letting that smoke fill the air around her.

Now if she could just figure out what to do with the rest of the day she would be alright. She needed to meet some people. Preferably the ones that would help her out in finding some after school activities. Heh. Drawing another drag into her lungs she pushed back some of her blond hair and allowed her mind to wander over things she could find to entertain herself..

[Drea]

Drea sighed as she got to the roof. It was the quiet time of the day. There was usually a lot of ruckus up here, but during free period, there wasn't much that happened at the topmost part of the school. She had her backpack slung over her shoulder - proof that she was there to study.

She was very much surprised to see someone else up there... And smoking, no less. If she wasn't incorrect, that was against school policy...

Now, an internal debate was triggered. Did she want to say something or did she not? She really didn't know. As a result, she simply sighed, before moving to another table and pulling out her study material. She glanced at the girl from her peripheral vision.

She was very pretty - to the point that cigarettes didn't match her image.

"You're pretty...!" The words slipped out before she was aware... At which point, she immediately clasped a hand over her mouth, eyes widening.

"Er, sorry - you probably wanted to be left alone and that came out and I couldn't help myself because I wasn't expecting to see someone so pretty smoking much less at the top of the school at this time, and I'm probably digging myself a deeper hole, aren't I?" Drea was very much rushing her words out - and blushing from embarrassment.

[Serenity Masterson]

She was sitting there minding her own business when all of a sudden she had some chick squealing about how pretty she was. Okaaay? Raising her brow she brought that cig to her lips and took another heavy drag before she would bother to reply.

Um. Thanks. I think. Not bad yourself. I guess. Sorry, I dont exactly swing that way.

Her tone was soft and yet held an edge that said not to piss her off. She was always on edge. It was just how she lived. If she let her guard down then that left her open to bad shit happening.

As for bothering me. Well you already did that, so might as well plant your ass and talk to me now. I need some questions answered anyway. I suppose you will do just as good as anyone else.

She moved her foot from the bench she had it resting on and nodded her head toward it. Clearly telling the girl to sit down. Hey! If that little thing had the hots for her. Then so be it. Ren did not care. They could look all the fuck they wanted. Just dont lay a finger on her. She REALLY did not go that way.

But hey. To each his own right?

[Drea]

Drea blushed at the girl's words.

"I-I'm not...!" Her face probably resembled a tomato. "I wasn't trying to make any advances on you..." She coughed, feeling a bit out of place. "I'm very much heterosexual, thank you."

"As for bothering me. Well you already did that, so might as well plant your ass and talk to me now. I need some questions answered anyway. I suppose you will do just as good as anyone else."

Drea moved to do as the girl indicated. Questions? She wondered of what nature they were, even as the hairs on the back of her neck rose. Her words didn't match her image either, though they did match the cigarette. Obviously, she wasn't what she appeared to be. Not that Drea had a hard time accepting that. She was used to seeing it, after all.

So she simply sighed as she sat, her blush fading away. "What kind of questions do you have? For that matter, what's your name? I'm Rea."

[Serenity Masterson]

She shifted a bit as she girl sat down, her brow rising slightly to her declaration of being straight. Heh. Could have fooled her. But hey! Whatever!

Taking another drag and then thowing the butt over the edge of the roof, she would turn those emerald eyes back to the girl...Rea? Hmm..Not a bad name.

She would lean forward, settling her arms on her knees as she picked at her nails.

Serenity. Though my friends call me Ren. You...can call me Serenity. For now.

She gave a very pointed look at that and then would raise her brow. Yes, she was making sure that she got the point across not to call her that unless she said you could. She hated people to assume they knew her.

So, what they hell do people do around this place for fun? That would be my first question.

[Drea]

"Serenity. Though my friends call me Ren. You...can call me Serenity. For now." the girl said.

Drea shrugged. A name was a name. She simply returned the girl's gaze quite coolly, expressing her own lack of interest as to where she stood with the girl. Drea wasn't a normally frigid person, despite her Qi, but she'd come up to study. Despite her slip of the tongue, the girl was still being rude.

"That's fine, Miss Serenity." she acknowledged the other girl.

"So, what they hell do people do around this place for fun? That would be my first question."

At this Drea raised an eyebrow. The girl was new. That made more sense. She had no knowledge of where to go or what to do, and so she was on the roof.

"People do what they want," Drea said bluntly. "Go hang out with friends, fight rivals, cause violence in schools." She paused. "It's not that hard to figure out."

Drea realized that she herself was using words that could be slanted in either direction. She gave a friendly smile to lessen the negative tint. Besides, if Serenity was new, it meant that she was probably going through an adverse reaction to her new environment. It happened with people all the time.

"I'm sure you'll find friends soon enough if you don't have them already. There's a lot of different crowds here. Surely you'll find at least one you can get along with, if not more."

[Serenity Masterson]

She listened. A smile curling on her lips as she laughed softly.

You just got short with me. I would have thought a pretty little prep like you wouldn't have it in you. Cool. Nice to see that not everyone here is exactly as they look.

She would then nod, turning her attention back to those hands she was picking at. Damn chipped nails. But that is what you got for climbing in and out of windows all the damn time. No time for upkeep and all.

So, who is who around here? I mean who is in charge, who has the most pull, who is hot who is not. That type of shit. Always good to know these things. Helps keep me from getting into too much trouble.

She lifted her hand and started to bite on her nail. Ugh! Why the fuck did people go to all the trouble of fixing themselves up? Hell even with her lack of girly girl upkeep she still had issues. Gods forbid she she actually put effort into this shit. She would be stuck worrying about her nails all the damn time.

Finally getting it straight enough to suit her, she would turn those emerald eyes back to Rea.

[Drea]

"You just got short with me. I would have thought a pretty little prep like you wouldn't have it in you. Cool. Nice to see that not everyone here is exactly as they look." Serenity told her.

Drea only smiled at her. Not nice, but not mean, either. "Never judge a book by its cover." She didn't include that most people learned that lesson as children barely able to walk. Mostly, she didn't because she acknowledged that people might know it - few actually did it.

"So, who is who around here? I mean who is in charge, who has the most pull, who is hot who is not. That type of shit. Always good to know these things. Helps keep me from getting into too much trouble."

Drea shrugged at that. She herself was essentially fresh meat. "I'm a bit recent so I couldn't tell you for sure. From what I hear, the School Captain is Gabriel Ser-something. If you listen in the halls, you'll hear some pretty interesting things about him. I'm pretty sure the strongest are David Blaze, Katsuri, Emily E. Delos Santos, and a boy called Alex Hikari. They're all pretty well known, so I doubt you'll miss 'em." She'd personally run into David Blaze, Katsuri, and Emily, her sister, but she'd had only a vague acquaintance with the Hikari boy.

Drea paused for a moment. "There's a bit of a power struggle going at the moment. Gabriel wants to switch from the pillar system to an elected democratic system, but it looks like Katsuri and some others would rather abolish it altogether... And others want to stick with the current system."

She stopped. Was that everything? She thought she'd hit the high points.

[Serenity Masterson]

She listened, more intently than she was probably letting on. Okay, so those names she had to remember. Emily, Katsuri, Gabriel, Alex.....shit what the fuck was the last one?

Oh yeah David Blaze.

Okay so that one was a bit strange to her, but hey! It made it stick out in her mind. Nodding she would shift to lay down on top of the table, her eyes looking up to the sky as she stuffed her hands into her pockets once more.

So, which ones do you know and which ones should I stay away from if I dont want to get my ass handed to me for no reason?

Well these were important things to know. Some people were just a pain in the ass that wanted to fight for no reason. Heh. Not that she minded, but right now was not the time to start shit. She didn't know anyone yet. Give it time. Then maybe she would work at stirring up some action around here.

[Drea]

"So, which ones do you know and which ones should I stay away from if I dont want to get my ass handed to me for no reason?"

Drea shrugged at the question. They all seemed pretty reasonable to her. "It's up to you, really."

"After all, it's a matter of how you act and do things around them, or if they hear of it. They're a pretty nice crew though. Of course, I can't say anything about Alex or Gabriel, but Katsuri looks out for me, and I don't think Emily would date someone that's not nice. Nor would she get along with David..." Drea explained.

"Basically, they make sure no bad things happen to the students, although fights are free range." she nodded. "Sometimes, though, they'll stop fights."

[Serenity Masterson]

She could not help but grin softly as she listened. So, basically she had to play nice for now. Well, she did not like that idea, but it did not mean she couldn't do it.

Granted her idea of playing nice and other people's may not have been the same. But that was of no concern of hers. When the girl was done talking she would nods, running her tongue over her lips breifly.

So that Katsuri guy. He your boyfriend?

Well she had said he looked after her, and come on, what else could it be? Not that she cared. But talk was talk and all the information she could gather was helpful to some extent. Now if the girl started going off about her gushy love shit there would be a problem.

Ren did not see the point in love and did not think it was a valid emotion. Just a chemical reaction in the body that could be duplicated with enough chocolate. So why go and get all mushy over some guy? It was pointless and stupid. Not to mention it seriously cut into fun time for one's self.

[Drea]

"So that Katsuri guy. He your boyfriend?"

Drea plain out chuckled at that. "Katsuri? My boyfriend? No way!" She grinned. "He's got a girlfriend, though I don't know if he'd admit that she is."

She chuckled again. "He kind of adopted me on my first day of school as his property, so I'm basically under his protection. It helps that I'm obviously related to one of the strongest in the school, too."

Silently, she reminded herself that it wasn't as though the whole thing didn't have its drawbacks. She could easily be kidnapped or attacked because of her relations with the two as well, especially because she was so weak.

[Serenity Masterson]

Well if he has a girl and wont admit it, then he must be screwing around. Have to keep that in mind. As for you being his property. Heh. Seriously?

She raised her brow and turned her head enough to let those eyes of hers find the girl. Who would want to even think they belonged to somebody else? It was...She shuddered inwardly at the thought. Yeah, that was messed up.

But again. To each his own right?

So the girl thought she needed to be owned by that guy to be safe. Hey whatever made her sleep at night. Ren could not imagine those words ever leaving her own lips.

"Oh yes, I am owned by him" Yeah right! She would never fall that far. She had at least some sense of self worth. But she was seeing fast enough that this girl did not. Probably some traumatic childhood shit. Wasn't that what usually happened to cause a trait like that?

Okay, so she was not the picture of perfect either, but she had no reason for it other than she was just the way she was. Had fallen in with the wrong group a long time ago and it had ultimately resulted in jail time. That had led to the hardened heart that now thudded within her chest.

So, what the hell happened to you to make you think you need to be owned by some guy to feel safe? I mean yeah, you may be weak but come on. Grow a little self respect and worth. No woman should be the property of some guy just because he can fight better and keep her safer. Shit happens, just the way of life. If it is gonna happen it is gonna happen and Mr. Big and Bad is not gonna stop it. Right?

[Drea]

"Well if he has a girl and wont admit it, then he must be screwing around. Have to keep that in mind. As for you being his property. Heh. Seriously?"

Drea only shrugged. Kevala herself had admitted that it was a possibility, but she'd accepted it. Still, the girl was as close to a girlfriend that Katsuri had. They were close, and she was bearing his child. That was as close as most people needed to be to be declared lovers or a pair. It wasn't as though she particularly cared.

It was the girl's next words that set her already raised eyebrows even higher.

"So, what the hell happened to you to make you think you need to be owned by some guy to feel safe? I mean yeah, you may be weak but come on. Grow a little self respect and worth. No woman should be the property of some guy just because he can fight better and keep her safer. Shit happens, just the way of life. If it is gonna happen it is gonna happen and Mr. Big and Bad is not gonna stop it. Right?

She nearly scoffed, but managed a weak laugh instead.

"I don't need to be owned to be safe," she said crisply. "And nor do I care that he's staked a claim. He's done the same with several others, so it's not as though I'm the only one. Self-respect? Worth? I respect myself well enough, Miss Serenity. Well enough to keep from harming myself any further - " That was in reference to her suicide attempt before attending the school. " - and I know well my own worth."

She stared at the other girl. "I'm not so naive as to believe that he'll always be there to protect me, nor am I so silly as to believe that I need him to survive at this school."

It was true. She knew that well enough. "And, please - I never said he owned me; Simply that he'd adopted me. He himself knows well enough that he does not yet have me."

She sighed as she realized the tone she was taking on was that of sharpness. The girl was probably just asking about what most people would see, so it wasn't as though she should be angry. Someone else would likely ask in time, too.

"You don't know me, and you don't know him. Why are you drawing conclusions about us when you don't know anything about it?"

[Serenity Masterson]

Oo..Somebody lit a fire under this ones ass didn't they?

Wonder who that would be...

Oh yeah, Serenity. If nobody else saw the irony in the name and the state in which she seemed to keep people then. Yeah.

Sitting up, that grin spreading across her lips she would tilt her head and laugh softly.

Don't go getting your panties in a knot. I was asking. No harm in that. As for why?

Cause I can.

She shrugged softly and shifted to put her feet down onto the bench once more. Her arms once more resting on her knees and her blond hair falling about her face. After thinking it through a bit she would stick her hand out to the girl, an offer to shake and call a truce.

We got off on the wrong foot. I shall refrain from making assumptions for the most part. Though it is hard because you leave your words open to a lot of interpretation.

I am Ren. Nice to meet you.

Yeah, she had to admit she liked this girl. Not as much as she could, but there was something to be said about somebody who did not get all whiney about being talked to the way Serenity talked to people.