A/n what I didn't mention in the last chapter was that I don't own House of Anubis; seriously do you think if I own it I would be on here? Also Joy WILL be in the story. Why because I can (also because when I asked MiaAndOak – my ONLY reviewer, despite 2 other people adding this to their alert list – she wanted Joy added.) So ha to Joy haters,
Also that Nina M & C along with some of Anubis house and my OC Yasmin will be 'talented' don't like don't read. I will do my best to say where their 'talents' come from. And it will be mostly from books.
¬_¬ so on with the story.
Yasmin P.O.V.
An old, creepy man came down the stairs and the atmosphere in the room instantly turned into hate and a little fear, just by looking round at two of my housemates showed that they obviously hated this man with their guts, and looking at both Nina's showed that they were a little intimidated. "I'm Victor the caretaker. You three better unpack, Miss Martin and Miss Conti will be in the largest of the three rooms with Miss Patricia Williamson through the door at the top of the stairs. Miss Garcia is rooming with Miss Joy Mercer in the smallest of the three. The attic and the cellar are out of bounds at all times as is my office. The boy's dormitories are downstairs, and curfew is 10pm sharp. You may decorate your side of your room any way you want. Any questions?"
"Yeah why have I got to move for some Yank?* Can't they share the big room and me and Joy share the smaller one?" Patricia asked.
"No, you may not, now I have business to attend to, Trudy, we have a couple of things to go over before the others arrive" Victor said turning on his heel, leaving with Trudy up the stairs, only to be stopped by . . .
"What others?" A timid voice belonging to Nia – Nina Martin – said.
"The other 5 students coming from your school, as we sent over 8* and we have to go over living arrangements, since you turned up earlier than expected."
"Early?"
"Yes, early. The 8 of you from Xavier's gifted school were meant to come at the same time, later this month."
"Then wouldn't it be better if me, and Nina Conti and Nina Martin room together until the rest of the students get here so then we can all move around to accommodate the others." I replied smoothly.
"That won't be happ-"
"Victor, let the girls room together. They're new; let them get used to their surroundings first. Then we can arrange the rooms for the others." Trudy implied.
"Fine, if it will get me some peace and quiet then you can room with each other until the others get here." Victor said, getting sick of us already. I can tell that we weren't going to get on very well. And that we didn't win this, but a small victory is still a victory
"See Vicky, was that so hard?" I asked, letting the Southern twang of my accent some out. My back story may be that I was adopted from Scotland then I moved across the pond. But really, I was born in Texas, moving 'round America in the early 1860's after my parents were murdered in front of me, before starting to explore the world – diluting my pronounced accent. I first stopped off in Paris. Then after many years in Sweden I moved back to America to stop with River in Masseuses – to have my southern accent come back.
When I called him Vicky, Victor stopped, causing Trudy to walk into him, and start to apologise profoundly, only to be quietened when Victor said "What did you call me?"
"I called you Vicky. Or would you prefer bird boy, or maybe Creepy Van Cleve."
He turned round and started back down the stairs. When he got to the bottom he icily said "You will respect your elders."
To which I replied coolly "I will only respect those that I think deserve it. So far I have seen nothing to give you respect. If you had given the room arrangements another thought before Trudy persuaded you I might've given you some respect. But from what I've seen, until I see something that deserves respect, you will get none. Despite what you will do to gain some."
Then he looked like he might explode, he said "you are lucky I am not too angry at the moment or you would be getting punished severely." Then he turned and preceded back upstairs to what I could only guess was his office.
"What happened to freedom of speech? Or did I leave that in America too?" I shouted after Victor.
When I was sure he couldn't hear me I muttered, "You're lucky I'm not too pissed, and that I don't want to dirty my hand by slapping you, bastard."
When both he and Trudy were out of hearing range I heard clapping from behind me. When I turned around I saw 6 other students with Jerome and Patricia clapping, with a confused Nat - Nina Conti - and Nia. I'm pretty sure that I was looking confused because Jerome said "No one's ever stood up to Victor like that. We're impressed."
"He's not my keeper, he doesn't tell me what to do. I am my own person and I don't take shit from no one. Anyway he didn't look too impressed by it, looks like he's just seeing that by bullying people he's getting nowhere. Now can someone be so kind as to show me my room."
Patricia, being the only one other than Jerome to know where I was rooming, started up the stairs, pulling me with her. Only giving me enough time to grab my suitcase, and carry on, before I was pulled upstairs. I heard Nia and Nat behind me.
After a couple of doors I was hauled into what I guess is my room. Then Nat and Nia came through the doors their jaws dropped. I turned round and I'm pretty sure I had the same reaction.
"Wow. Bigger than I thought." I said.
"I'll say," Nat said, claiming the bed on the left of the door. Looking around I saw Nia lounging on the opposite bed to Nat. Leaving the bed furthest away from the door, in the middle of the back wall of the square room, to me. I saw two windows. One with a little window seat, that had my bed just to the left of it, the other one to the left of the wardrobe next to the end of Nia's bed.
I saw that there were two wardrobes and a dresser.
When Patricia left looking for this fabled Joy; me, Nat and Nia started to unpack. Nat and Nia took a wardrobe each, at the foot of their beds, and then I took the dresser in between my bed and the window next to Nia's wardrobe. There were two wooden room dividers* pushed up against the walls, to be used for privacy. I saw our stuff sent over from America at the end of the hall, so went out.
Grabbing the first box I could find, I set it in the middle of the room, for either Nat or Nia to claim or to be part of our growing pyramid of possessions.
"Anyone want to help me bring in what Xavier sent over?" I asked Nia and Nat, only to find Nia blasting music from her iPod and Nat looking for something, well throwing everything around while muttering "No!" and "Where is it?"
"Huh, well you are the strongest. Anyway have you seen any of my puppets*?" Nat asked looking through her bag again.
"No, maybe they're outside. And if I carry everything in they're gonna think something's up. What, they are." I replied ignoring the sour look Nat gave me.
Nat, in a huff, flung the door open took a look at the miss-match pile of our belongings, and stormed off. Leaving a flabbergasted* Jerome behind.
Jerome looked back at the receding Nat behind him then back at me. "What . . . why . . . how . . . what?" a confused Jerome stuttered.
"She's lost some bags." I answered whilst turning to the mountain of our belongings. Turning back to Jerome I said "If you see a large, black, luggage bag; a grey duffel bag and a wicker basket, much like this one." I indicated to a wicker basket with a cloth covering the contents. "Don't open them."
"Why should I listen to you, newbie?" he countered cockily.
"Fine, open them, see if I care. But don't come crying to me when Nat kicks your ass for not respecting her privacy."
"Who says she can beat me up, girls are weaker than men."He said smirking when I looked angry.
"On average, girls may be weaker than boys." I said building his ego up. "But fighting isn't always about strength. It's about skill and using your opponent's weight to your advantage."
"You think you could beat me in a fight?"
"Oh I know I can." I said not missing a beat.
"How about we settle this, fight in the garden. So victor can't see us."
"How 'bout we make this interesting? I win you help me unpack and fill me in on the house. If you win . . ." I said, knowing I would beat him even if I was blind and injured.
"When I win, you do my chores and tell me your deepest darkest secret." He said grinning evilly.
"Oh it's sweet how you think you can win, sugar," I said slipping into my southern accent on again. "You tell me yours I'll tell you mine." I held my hand to shake.
Jerome didn't look pleased at my terms, but shook my outstretched hand. "Wait, I'm gonna get Alfie & the boys, you get the girls. Meet you outside in half an hour." He said before going down stairs.
I went round the other rooms gathering as many of my other housemates as I could find. Then went downstairs to fight Jerome. When I told Patricia she looked at me sceptically, who then got a dark-skinned girl I learned to be Joy, then she went next door to get a ditzy blonde and another dark-skinned girl who I found out were Amber and Mara.
Mara told me "you do know Jerome has never lost a fight. He's won a trophy for the school against the most aggressive school in the district. It's his talent." Mara just realising the last sentence that she said, clamped her hand over her mouth, preventing her to say anymore.
"Talent?" I said, raising an eyebrow.
"Everyone that lives in this house has a talent. Some I wouldn't call a 'talent' as they're only weirdoes." Joy said in a horribly nasally voice, whilst looking pointedly at Mara. Then she pushed past and through the front door, with Patricia and Amber following her.
"What was that about?" I asked, turning back to Mara who had tears in her eyes.
"Nothing," she replied quickly, wiping away her tears.
"Oh come on. Queen Mercer means something. I just wanted to make sure your okay. I know what it's like not to fit in." I said attempting to comfort her. I say attempted, comfort isn't my forte.
"When haven't you fitted in? Your pretty, haven't gotten on anyone's bad side. You're bound to fit in."
"I haven't gotten on anyone's bad side yet – well Victor doesn't like me, or didn't you hear him shout?" I joked getting Mara to crack a smile. "And when I kick Jerome's ass, people will think I'm weird. Besides if Queen Mercer doesn't keep her mouth shut, I'll slap her. Her voice just goes through me. Now, you don't have to tell me what's wrong. But I guarantee you'll feel better afterwards." I said giving Mara an awkward one armed hug.
"Okay, okay. The house is split into two. The normal talents e.g. fashion design, and singing; and the freaks e.g. telekinesis or telepathy. I'm one of the freaks, along with Jerome and Alfie. We don't exactly share what we can do with other, but . . . I can manipulate the weather and nature. We got on the wrong side of Joy and she hates us, along with the other perfs: Perfect, popular, normal." Mara's voice took on a longing tone at the end.
They're not normal, if they pass up a chance to be best friends with a wonderful girl like you Mara. Besides, between you and me, everyone from America is like you and me, Now, I've got to teach Jerome a lesson," I said leading a now smiling Mara outside.
\(O.o)/
I saw two other boys, a dark haired one looking uncomfortable next to Joy – who was wrapped around him like a Cobra – but was sneaking glances at Nia; and an African- American looking one talking to Jerome with a boyish smile in place. When me and Mara came round the corner, everyone stopped talking. Freaky.
"Okay Jerome, what type of fight is this? Hand-to-hand,; tai kwon do; fencing or martial arts?" I asked. I looked over to Nia and saw her motioning me over. "While you decide, I'll be right back."
"Are you insane?" Nia asked, well more like yelled.
"Um, OW!" I said, checking my ear still works, which it does, thankfully. "So, why am I insane, this time?"
"You know how you, me and Nat can . . . you know. Well Jerome can inflict pain and fear."
"Then it's a good thing I'm wired differently then huh." I replied, not getting why she called me over.
"I called you over because his 'gift' might work on you." She said looking exasperated.
"Well now's as good a time as any to test that theory. And I hate it when you do that." I said, crossing my hands over my head to show it was mine.
"Sorry, but no one's blocking, and I really don't need to add you to the mix of thoughts I'm already getting. Although I shouldn't be picking up thoughts from you." She moaned "Beside's Jerry wants you."
"It's Jerome," I replied laughing. "And if it makes you feel better, I'll say no powers. Now I've got a boy to prove wrong." I said walking back over to Jerome.
"So Jerry, what is your decision?"
"It's Jerome," he said annoyed. "And I'm thinking either weapons or hand-to-hand."
"Weapons," I said smirking at his slightly discouraged face. "Two things: one, no guns, there's no talent in pressing a trigger; and two, no attacking limbs. Now choose a weapon," I said pointing towards the rows of the rows of weapons and other items. I had Nat bring out – after her argument with bird brain – Victor – over the – not so – missing luggage.
"Ok, how are these weapons?" he said pointing to two ribbons, a necklace, and two fans. "If you beat me using them, I'll eat Mick's sports socks."
His last sentence making the bystanders cringe. I guess whoever Mick is, he's a sports fanatic, and sweaty. But since none of the original Anubis house looked offended, I'm guessing Mick is the last boy of Anubis House that I have yet to meet along with the other two boys.
"Pick 5,"I said walking over to Jerome. "and put this on." I handed him a mesh, skin-tight suit. "This, will stop you from getting any injuries,"
"What 'bout you, don't you need one of those?" He annoyed, that I could get away with normal clothes, and he had to lug around extra weight.
"Okay, Mr. Big Shot. It's either you wear the suit or I use fencing swords. IF I get hit, I'll regrow that limb, or the organ will start to stitch together, or the wound will mend. I'm not going to be responsible you lost an arm because you didn't follow 'ealth and safety."I moaned, tired of his attitude. "Now unless you or your friend," I said pointing towards the African-American that looked away quickly, "has the 'gift' of healing, I suggest you put on the suit or decide on fencing swords."
He looked as if he was considering it, when something clicked in his mind.
"How would you know that me or Alfie could possess a power?" He asked, looking suspicious
"Oh, something's always wacky when I go back into education. Three years ago I went to a school for gifted youngsters thinking it was my musical talent getting me my place; it was my 'gifts'. Besides I heard head slag Mercer spill something whilst being mean to Mara."
He laughed at my nickname for Joy, but looked annoyed when I mentioned Mara's little 'chat' with Joy. "I should've known that b***h would've said something. And would you stop calling it a gift, it's a curse."
"No, don't think like that. Your gif . . . power is what makes you, you. Besides you power couldn't be as bad as mine, at least yours wasn't made to destroy the earth. Now before I deluge more of my tormented childhood, or turn into Oprah; which is it? Mesh suit or fencing swords."
"The finest mesh suit in my size."
Happy that Jerome had finally decided on something. I handed him his choice and went back to my decision.
Knowing from experience back in France that I was exceptionally skilled in sword fighting, I took my favourite. It was pure silver, and had a moonstone – my moonstone – incrusted in the hilt. When I went to Rivers 'bout 40 years ago, we were discussing the properties of gems and linked our chosen stone to our power, knowing that whenever I would be in danger I would take a sword, I had it incrusted in this – my favourite – sword. I put in my belt, ready for action.
Secondly, knowing I had a small pouch of blue –fake – gems in every jacket I owned; I took the necklace and put it on. When I was in Paris in 1870, I remembered not having a bow or arrow, and having to rely on my resourcefulness to keep me alive.
Then I took the two ribbons, and two fans. I was best skilled in these, as no one knew what to expect. I put the ribbons and fans inside my jacket on different sides, for easy access.
Lastly I took my dagger. It looked rather plain next to all my other weapons. But it was my first and was infused with my blood, meaning it was the most dangerous, and my first weapon. I strapped it to the inside of my left thigh.
I took my bobble that I always kept with me for emergencies, and put my hair that was currently down in loose curls down my back, into a right side ponytail. And I waited for Jerome to finnish his selection.
Each * in order
- Sorry if that's offensive to Americans, but I tried to word it as Patricia would. Please don't hunt me down
- I will not be mentioning the 8 Anubis students that left Anubis House for the exchange programme, unless someone would be so kind as to send in a couple of OC's
- I don't know the American system, but it would be year 9 in the English system, you go into the year at 13 and get out at 14.
- Like in the first series, in Mara's and Amber's room. You often see dresses hanging over the corners. And is near Amber's wardrobe.
- I'm using other puppets & content from other ventriloquists e.g. Paul Zerdin – he's amaze balls
- Flabbergasted, word of the day.
I've put my polyvore of Yasmin's outfit at the bottom of my profile. It's basically what she was already wearing.