Chandra yawned, "You know something?"
"What?" Lilianna growled, "I'm trying to sleep. It's not my fault you can't."
"I know. I know. I was technically talking to myself but if you wish to listen you can," Chandra snapped, "I was just commenting on the observation that some of the Ascension City kids remind me of Jace."
"Are you talking about that Alice girl with the cat ears?"
"Not just her. I'm not making a comparison to physical appearances. I'm saying that attitude wise they have the same reluctance to interact with anyone and the same fear of getting too close to someone. They just as distant as he was at first."
"Oh so are you going to save them from their self inflicted loneliness? What a benevolent savior you are," Lilianna sneered.
"No. I have enough to worry about without adding them to the list. I am however going to-"
"Silence after quiet hours please."
Chandra's eyes narrowed. She glanced at Lilianna to see the brunette looking just as perturbed as she did. She smirked, "Wanna fight?"
"Bring it on you little brat," Lilianna snickered. She leaped towards the redhead's bed. Chandra met her halfway and they started fighting in the middle of their dorm room.
Chandra pulled away from Lilianna and flopped on her bed as she heard footsteps approaching. Lilianna grabbed a nearby book and leaned against her bed. Chandra reached over the bed frame and turned on the lamp. She covered herself with her blanket and buried her face in her pillow.
The door flew open and the principal stood in the doorway.
"Hello Miss. What's the occasion?" Lilianna looked at her calmly.
Chandra pretended like she had just woken up and blinked at the principal, "What?"
"Were you two fighting?"
"No," the two of them exchanged confused glances.
The principal sighed, "Very well." She closed the door and walked back down the stairs.
Chandra burst out laughing, "Ah that was great." She looked at Lilianna, "You wouldn't happen to have a lighter would you?"
"No," Lilianna shook her head, "just steal one. I'm sure the vampire will cover up your tracks."
"Hm," Chandra nodded, "I was trying not to but oh well."
"How often do you steal things in this world?" Lilianna watched the redhead climb to her feet and walk over to the window.
"That's pretty much how I get everything I do," Chandra shrugged.
"Oh. Nice job," Lilianna watched her jump out the window, "Brilliant. Now there's two demons at this school. I wonder who Kurai's summoner is." If the connection between the summoner and the summoned is broken then the summoned has no choice but to go back. If I can figure out how he was summoned, since according to Michael and David he was supposedly banished and still had a while to wait till her could return, then the banishment will come back into effect. I don't have to worry about him interfering in my little experiment. I just have to find out who else can summon a demon without being consumed. There's Ral and Jace but Ral's too incompetent to understand the intricacies that go into a contract. I also can't really see Jace partaking in summoning a demon, especially Kurai. But then there is the appeal of a temporary replacement for Jace's lack of telepathy in Kurai. However Jace is more than acquainted with being used and I doubt he would agree to any offer Kurai would make.
"Cat Ears. When was the last time you did anything but read? And try to figure out a way to steal the medallion. And fail."
"Ral. It doesn't matter. Leave me alone," Jace insisted.
"Cat Ears. I am now older than you. If Beautiful were to find out-"
"That's exactly why you're going to keep your mouth shut," Jace snapped.
"Cat Ears." Ral looked at him from where he sat on his desk on his side of the room, "You're being an idiot."
"Look," Jace turned and glared at Ral, "We've got two pieces of the treasure. The sooner we find the third piece the sooner we can get off this world. The treasure is our reason for being here. I don't like it here and I want to leave as soon as possible." Preferably before things get exciting.
"What about Kurai? Isn't his presence in this world tied to you?"
"What's your point?" Jace's eyes narrowed.
"My point is there are people here that rely on us."
"They have Onyx, and Michael and David and Lotus and just the Black Lotus in general. They'll be fi-"
"That's not what I'm talking about. It's not just about protection. You're judgment. Beautiful's judgment. Your opinions of people and situations are noticed by everyone in the school. To leave them out of the blue just because you decided you didn't like the world is selfish. At least see this through to the end. You can feel the pressure can't you?" For once in his life Ral looked completely serious and solemn.
Jace growled, "Sure. I can feel the pressure. Even if we can feel it, even if something does happen, we're powerless without mana."
Ral's eyes widened suddenly, "Cat Ears!"
"What?"
"If that was the real problem you had with the entire situation why didn't you just say so?" Ral looked excited. His serious expression was replaced with a broad grin, "If we can figure out a way to either allow us to reach mana outside of this world or purify the mana that is here then we won't be so powerless!"
"Good job! You have literally just now figured out what I've been cursing this entire time. If you can figure out a way to do what you've just suggested then I'll listen and do what I can to help. Until then. Leave me alone," Jace turned back to the book he was reading. He didn't even lift his head when Michael and David's theme song played. He was irritated that the sick feeling hadn't faded and only seemed to be getting worse.
"Have you figured out how to get Beautiful to give up the medallion?"
"Would I still be trying if I had?" Jace muttered.
"Well it would be best to just try right. Simulations aren't everything especially when dealing with her," Ral said.
"It can wait till tomorrow then," Jace muttered. It'd been a week. He'd decided to try and forget about the past that was coming back to haunt him by focusing on the treasure and learning magic. This does provide an interesting opportunity to learn telekinesis though.
"Cat Ears are you hungry?"
"No," Jace shook his head.
"You've barely eaten all week," Ral said, "If using magic draws from-"
"I feel sick alright. Of course I haven't eaten," Jace snapped.
"Attention students. Ballpoint pens, plush toys, and string are banned and every room will be searched for these items beginning now."
"What?" Jace glared at the door, "Why?"
"Maybe Michael and David did something stupid."
"C'mon! All we did was tape a whole bunch of stuffed animals to the ceiling! Well they were hanging from strings but still! It was completely harmless!" Jace could hear Michael and David through the door. He looked at Kaious, "Hide."
The dragon disappeared out the window and sat deep within the tree. Every single stuffed animal, ballpoint pen, and independent string was cleared from the rooms.
"Fine," Michael and David sighed. They exchanged glances.
"I already have a plan," Michael grinned.
"Tomorrow?"
"What plan?" Jace popped open his door and looked at them curiously.
"Well-are you okay?"
"I feel sick but otherwise I'm fine. What plan?" Jace glared at them.
"Alright," Michael looked skeptical but decided not to argue.
"We're going to take back all the stuffed animals," David smiled.
"How?" Jace asked.
"Well, we'll create a distraction and then find the storage room where all the stuffed animals are."
"And this wouldn't have anything to do with the pretty Isabelle who loves stuffed animals would it?" Ral teased.
"No. That's just why Rick is helping out," Michael smirked.
"Have you asked him to help you yet?"
"No," David shrugged.
"We don't have to."
Jace didn't recognize the names Isabelle or Rick but he hadn't really been paying attention to any of the guest students. When was the last time I left the dorm room anyway? "I'll help."
"So you really do love your stuffed animals!" Ral grinned.
"No. I just feel like being a pain in the principal's side. She's not awful but she needs to lighten up," Jace growled.
"Alright," Michael and David grinned.
"You two are the distraction," Jace said, "Rick, whoever that is, and I will get the stuffed animals."
"How are you guys going to carry all of those?"
"We'll get some silverware and tape them to the stuffed animals," Michael grinned, "Rick has the ability to manipulate magnetic fields. He can attach a magnetic field to any metal."
"They'll be seen that way," Jace muttered.
"Well, maybe not," Ral smirked, "I do have an invisibility field device."
"How the hell do you make these things?" Jace glared at him.
"Well, I have a huge amount of old broken computers and whatever else stashed in my side of the closet," Ral shrugged.
"But invisibility?" Michael shook his head, "Out of a broken computer. Wow."
Ral shrugged, "Yeah."
Jace sighed, "Fine."
"Here. We'll introduce you to Rick," Michael and David led Jace up the stairs.
"You three! Students must be in their dorms-"
Jace leaped forward. He bounced off the wall and landed on the guard's back. He used a little bit of magic to put the man to sleep and rode him to the floor. He made sure the landing wasn't hard enough to hurt him and then looked around to see if the call had caught anyone else's attention.
Michael and David were staring at him. Their eyes were wide with shock, "Wow. You're really freaking fast."
Jace didn't look at them, "Oh." I wouldn't have had to do that if I had mana. The spell on this world requires physical contact though. "Are we going?"
"Yeah." Michael led the way to a door on the far side of the fifth floor. He knocked on the door, "Rick!"
"Michael?"
"Let us in!"
"Alright. But I'm not getting in trouble cause of you two." A tall boy opened the door. He had really long brown hair stepped out of the doorway to let them in.
"Actually there's three."
"He looks like Alice," Rick's roommate commented.
Jace shrugged, "Close the door already. They'll find the sleeping security guard before long."
"What?" Rick stared at him. His eyes were the same shade of brown as his hair giving him a very monotone bland look.
Jace glared at him, "Close the door!"
Rick closed the door.
"I put a security guard to sleep so we could get here," Jace explained simply.
"Wow," Rick's roommate whistled softly.
"So. Rick, this is Jace. He's cool. We've met him. He likes reading and being left alone and brooding and otherwise being boring," David said.
Jace gave him a scathing look, "I'm not boring. I just don't like people. And I like more than just reading. There's just nothing more to do here."
"Like what?"
"You wouldn't get it," Jace shook his head. He looked at Michael and David, "Don't you two have something to ask?"
"Oh!" Michael looked at Rick, "Wanna help us get Isabelle's stuffed animals, and everyone's stuffed animals back?"
"Sure," Rick said almost instantly.
Jace watched him. I wouldn't say it's just because they mentioned Isabelle but that definitely plays into it. He's the kind of naive moron that'll help anybody if they ask or if they look like they need it. He shook his head, "The plan is, Michael and David are going to borrow a whole bunch of silverware. You and I are going to locate and sneak into where the stuffed animals are stored and then we're going to tape the silverware to the stuffed animals. Ral's going to give us an invisibility field device that'll hide the stuffed animals. However his devices are volatile and cruel so we're going to have to be fast. You're just in charge of transporting the stuffed animals."
"So you actually thought this one through?" Rick looked at Michael and David in surprise.
"Well...we just had a basic idea. The details were all him," David pointed to Jace.
"I'm impressed," Rick's roommate nodded. He looked at Rick, "You're going along with the plan?"
Rick nodded.
"We'll head to an upstairs common room in one of the dorms," Jace said, "and sort through the stuffed animals. Not all of them are Isabelle's."
"Because you have stuffed animals too," Michael smirked.
"Because Ral doesn't understand the meaning of the word 'no'." Jace corrected flatly.
"This is all going down tomorrow."
"Maybe we'll cover the office floor with Play-Doh while they're on lunch," Michael grinned maniacally.
"That'll give the two of us enough time to find and tape the silverware to the stuffed animals before you create the distraction," Jace shrugged. Though I have no idea how in the world they're going to get enough Play-Doh to cover the entire office floor. What is Play-Doh anyway? He looked at Rick, "Okay? Meet me outside the back of the dorm building before school starts. You're taking tomorrow off." He left the room through the window, ignoring the odd looks Rick and his roommate gave him. Michael and David could get in trouble. Every single security guard in the building was resigned to their antics anyway so they wouldn't be as likely to get an odd look from security.
"He does that all the time. He doesn't like using doors," he heard one of the twins explain. I don't mind using doors I just don't like getting in trouble. He landed hard on the ground five stories below. It did hurt but he didn't break. Telekinesis would be great right now. Then I wouldn't have to rely on a tree for a soft landing.
"Hey!"
Jace turned. He saw a young boy probably around his apparent age. The boy had electric blue eyes. They were pupil-less and his whites didn't show. Jace vaguely remembered seeing him before. Dammit. Why? "What?"
"Have you seen Cain around?"
"No." Jace cocked his head to the side curiously, "Not recently anyway. Why?"
"He was supposed to help me with my newest project but he hasn't shown up yet."
"Sorry. I am right here. I had to get past security without hurting them," Cain came around the opposite side of the building as Jace. He nodded to Jace, "What do you need again?"
"Well, it seems like this piece is off but I can't seem to be able to adjust it properly. I either don't adjust it enough or I adjust it too much."
"What is it?" Jace asked. It was small and spherical. The spaces between the metallic plating glowed with an electric blue light.
"It's a warping device. Once activated it can make the user appear faster. Or it can make the target believe they're going slower. Or both," Jason explained, "You kind of look like Alice." His gaze flicked to Jace's ears and tail.
Jace sighed, "Kind of huh?" He rolled his eyes, "Well I'm going back to my room." He turned and walked away.
"Cat Ears." Ral gave him the invisibility field device, "You can only use it once. It'll die after thirty minutes."
"Realistically it's more like ten," Jace said.
"Thirty! I made sure it had enough fuel to last that long!" Ral insisted indignantly.
"Fine. Fine," Jace rolled his eyes, "Why did I agree to this anyway?"
"I don't know. To get your stuffed animals back."
"I don't care about them," Jace curled up on his bed, "Good night. I might be in school tomorrow."
"Alright," Ral sighed, "You're never in school anymore. You've missed so much."
"Like what?"
"Well...Melody's befriended one of the Ascension City girls. She talks kind of like Cain without the contractions and everything. I worry about her though because she just does what she's told. And she'll follow an order to the letter."
"Who's Melody?"
"A super shy girl that's pretty attached to Xerxes. She gets picked on a lot and he stood up for her. Tina's a little over protective of her."
"When comes to anyone that spends any sort of extended amount of time with Phoenix over protective is an understatement," Jace muttered, "What else?"
"Well I'm sure you've heard the announcements of everything Michael and David have managed to get banned."
"Yeah," Jace nodded. He glanced at Ral, "What the Ascension City girl's name?"
"Nix," Ral said.
"You know," Jace sat up, "If Michael and David can get enough things banned that the principal has to repeal some of her rules then we might actually be able to get somewhere."
"Suggest it to them then," Ral suggested.
"Well, I don't know about that. Those two...don't really-they need to be pointed in a direction. I don't plan on being the one to direct them. It'd be like herding cats."
Ral snickered.
Jace growled, "Really? It's not that funny. I don't see why you insist on doing this!"
"Quiet please."
Jace glared at the door. He looked at Ral, "Turn on a video game."
"Cat Ears. What are you doing?"
"Turn on a video game," Jace insisted.
"Alright," Ral grinned, "You want to make noise to spite them don't you?"
"And so what if I do?"
"Play this one with me!" Ral held up a case. The case was read but had a sleeve holding the cover of the game. It was for the PlayStation 3 gaming system. The majority of the cover was taken up by something vaguely resembling a person that appeared to be made entirely of woven wool. The rest of it was a random assortment of things. Jace looked at Ral, "Little Big Planet? That doesn't make any sense."
"C'mon. It's fun. It's challenging. It's amazing. And the sackboy is adorable," Ral put the game in the system.
Jace turned the volume up loud and reluctantly sat next to Ral, "Fine. I'll play it but only once."