Exam prep and Anxieties
Amity
The time leading up to the exams was uneventful and yet gruelingly boorish, the time was filled with studying, working and of course business events in which she was often placed in the spotlight in one manner or another. The worst of the events was hosting envoys of the Emperors Coven, Amity thought her mother was insufferable, but it turned out there were in fact, people out there within the Emperors Coven that exuded intense snobbishness. As if their rank within the Emporers Coven was a moral high ground or reason to cower beneath them, if anything the event with the coven only allowed Odalia and the leaders of the Abomination Coven to explore potential weaknesses. Although the young witch had problems with her Amulet, it was almost unnoticeable compared to the intense flairs of pain she experienced her first few weeks, encountering the human, fighting within herself, as long as she stayed on course everything seemed to be far more manageable. Occasionally through the days leading up to the exam days and Grudgby tryouts the thought of encountering the human crossed her mind, causing deep pangs within her chest, both from the amulet and not, however she was unable to dwell on the thought out of fear of deeper repercussions. She had completely ignored her siblings' advances to connect with her, she could tell this caused them upset but the potential for issues was just too great.
Odalia had finally let her daughter off the hook from the final few events before the school year and allowed her time to train, the green haired witch relished in this time alone in the large field beside their mansion. She felt in her element, strong, independent and confident in her movements, nothing here should set off her amulet. I can just... Exist. she breathed a sigh of relief, coming to a slow jog from her work on her sprints, sweat beading on her forehead from her exertion. Coming to a full stop, she put her hands on her hips and leaned back, giving her body a light stretch. The young witch was wearing a plain gray tank top, her purple sports bra slightly visible from the side under her arm pits. Her wild hair was pulled back in a messy bun, strands of hair falling in her face inconspicuously as she breathed deeply to calm her racing heart. On her lower half she wore matching grey track pants that hugged her hips, showing the top of her underwear band, she wore heavy abomination ankle weights and Grudgby cleats from seasons passed. Jeesh... I know I upped the weights but I feel so... Sluggish. it felt impossible to be this tired after only a dozen or so solid sprints and maneuvers. "Am I getting too in my head about it..." As the words left her lips she could feel a tightening in her chest, the same constricting feeling she felt when she was in doubt of her family at the cottage, subconsciously her mind veered her to other thoughts relieving the impending discomfort. "I just need some water..." She muttered, walking towards her gym bag that she left near the tree line. then I can get to work on some formations and magic Kneeling by her bag she picked out her water bottle and uncorked the top, taking a long gulp before sighing and capping it.
As the water bottle was about to be pushed back into its place, she heard a faint sound of Fighting? she was bewildered to think there would be anyone so close to the Blight property line. Curious, she wiped her forehead of sweat and shouldered her bag, walking cautiously through the trees, following the increased sound of grunts, yelps and rumbles. As the ground trembled under her feet, she could immediately tell the users had proficiency in plant magic, there was a specific feeling under your feet when the ground was forced to shift and make way for the vines. Suddenly voices were clear in the air with the sounds of fighting only becoming more distinct as she approached, now cautious of the situation. Abominations run perimeter checks around here all the time... They must have migrated while fighting. The gree haired witch was finally close to the clearing and she could start to make out figures and words. "I didn't mean to upset you!" a female voice yelped, her breathe ragged as she yelled across to the other figure. There was no response, only another magical vine slamming up from the depths of the earth to knock the voice back. Creeping forward on, Amity pushed through the thick brush, a strange excitement coursing through her veins, so powerful there was nearly no recognition of the pangs of pain in her chest. Finally She thought, crouching now, one knee on the ground as she parted the heavy underbrush.
The sight before her was unexpected – not that she even had a clear image in mind of what was happening – and caused a small gasp to leave her awed and parted lips. T-that's Willow her mind was stammering, confused by her former friend's ferocity, she knew after what happened at the school she was proficient in plant magic, but this was different, this was powerful. In an instant, her image of Willow was twisted and confused, muddled with what her parents thought of her, what she knew of her and what she was seeing now. I … That can't be, why is she out here and who- the thought stalled in her mind and her breathing caught in her chest, she felt constricted. On the other side of the makeshift battlefield was the human girl, her hair was messy, the short brown hair in the back was pushed in all directions and the long pieces in the front were tucked behind her ears to keep from flying into her face. She was dripping in sweat, her white tank top clung to her body –which of course, Amity noticed first –, her signature green jacket had tears in its thick fabric, one of the long sleeves was completely torn off from the elbow down. She wore loose fitting cargo pants that were held up with a tightly pulled leather belt, they were dark brown and covered in varying shades of mud.
"Please, Wills! Snap out of it!" The plead broke Amity from her trance-like state, pulling her back into the present and causing an intense wave of pain to flood her veins, she saw red for a moment and then flashing stars in her vision. Why her, why here? her voice shouted in her mind, and raced to do anything to subside the pain, it felt like fire stabbing into her chest and ribs. Closing her eyes, she imagined anything else, anyone else but something was preventing her from turning away completely. I'm sure she isn't in danger... real danger she fought for a moment with herself, she knew she only had few more moments of this before she absolutely needed to pull herself away. Or risk something worse. Thinking quickly, she created a medium sized spell circle, trying her best to keep the magic from being noticed by either woman, "Come on... L-Human, make a move" she grumbled, throbs of pain making her increasingly irritable. As if her request had been heard, Luz slammed a small piece of paper down on the ground, launching vines from a few feet in front of her at Willow. Amity was clearly in awe of the new magic but kept her focus, as the vines hurdled at Willow, who looked ready to deflect them, the green haired witch also launched her magic. Abomination goo seeped up from the ground below her former friend's feet and rooted in her place, causing her to lose all balance when Luz's attack landed. Unable to stay for the aftermath of the attack, she turned and sprinted back to the clearing, her bag catching and breaking small branches as she ran. The further she got, the more at ease she felt How am I going to live the rest of my life like this … the thought was pained and haunted with fears of the future.
Within a few minutes she was back in the clearing, covered in a new layer of sweat. As the pain fully subsided, an odd toll felt like it had been taken on her body, as if energy was seeping from deep within and used against her. "Whats happening..." She groaned, putting a hand on her chest, tears in her eyes from frustration. She was failing her personal training tests, she was struggling to find the drive to keep working at it, even studying felt pointless, which had never happened before even when she was sick. Do... Not... QUESTION The thought shook through her skull, causing her to drop her bag and fall to the ground, her vision went black for a few moments as the thought echoed. She could only regain her composure when the magic that coursed through her stopped, leaving her unable to will her own thoughts into existence, following pure instinct and echoes she got herself up and stumbled back to her room. Her expression was blank and dull, she was in no pain and had no personal thoughts. This state continued for a couple of hours and by the time it had worn off, the toll on Amity's body was heavy, leaving her only able to sleep.
Luz
It was an increasingly tough few days at The Owl house, Eda had managed to get the main issues addressed, although she wasn't very forthcoming with the events that occurred while Luz had been reading in the large library of the school. In fact, the whole days events nearly went undisclosed, even at dinner that night, with both Luz and King doubling down on their efforts to break Eda. Despite their efforts she was a locked box of secrets. The days that proceeded were the most difficult, the witches apprentice would have a lot to work on if she was to be ready for her coming exam. The details were quickly delivered to The Owl House – Although, Hooty could have been a bit gentler with the delivery goblin, no one died and that's what's important – meaning Luz finally had something of substance to go off.
"Dear Luz, The Human,
Due to your lack of education within the Boiling Isles Educational system an alteration has been made to the Hexside College Entrance Examination, as expressed by your guardian (Undisclosed) you have had at home tutoring. To ensure you are at an acceptable level – meaning you will not hold back other students or perish in your first week – you will need to attend three separate exams. (Rather than the single exam a high school senior would take) Details and dates are below for your review, if you should have any questions, please call your current mentor as all faculty are off until the day of examination.
Exam details:
General education, History of the Boiling Isles, Geography, Potions and Regulations/Laws (New). This will determine the level of classes that are available to you should you pass and will also be used to better place you within your desired track.
Coven System, inner workings, leaders, selection processes and purpose within the Boiling Isles.
Practical test, for this section it has been selected that you will face an abomination level 2 (Ask your mentor if you don't know what that means, and study the different levels should abomination be something you are looking to learn), you must showcase at least 2 spells that you are confident and proficient with. There will be a time limit of 15 minutes provided to showcase your talent and achieve your condition selected. (See below)
When you arrive, you will be able to select one of the following as a condition to your grading:
Fight to the death (only one may leave the ring, should you select this option you will be graded at the same level as regular seniors. Alive = Passing, if you showcase the necessary spell min.)
5 hits and no out of rings (to you, graded at a medial level, less than 5 hits and you stay within the arena)
Finally pushed out of the arena (stay inside the arena for the full 15 minutes, showcase your spells, you are graded at a remedial level.)
The more spells used in the fight and the better the skills displayed, the higher the grade will be and the more options for specialized tracks as we get into later semesters. This will stay on your permanent record with the BI Education System, formally known as Joe. (Joe has been let go due to clerical errors and eating all records dating past the Coven system introduction.)
You will receive an official letter with your grades, feedback and next steps either on site or the next day.
Other events over the two exam days are as follows:
Grudgby Tryouts
Flyer Derby Tryouts
Toxophilite Tryouts
Wrestling Tryouts
Please be aware that these tryouts are for players who have played as a High School senior and have already passed the exam (Or didn't need to attend). Please feel free to watch and cheer them on, all clubs and teams will have regular tryouts in the first week to welcome newcomers.
I hope you prepare well,
Thank you,
Principal Hieronymus Bump,
The letter was the perfect thing to get Luz back on track, with the help of Eda, King and Hooty she spent most of the week practicing her history, demonology, geography and potions. While also taking Eda's advice and practicing her current magic with Hooty, who was scarily adept and able to fend her off like she was a fly. On occasion he even had to spit Luz out due to her inability to truly threaten him. Finally at the end of the week Willow was available, she had spent most of the week alone trying to get herself together for the exam, despite Luz trying to convince her that being alone wasn't the answer she let the dark-haired witch do what she needed to. Only a day before they would have to attend the exams together did they have a chance to train and search for the plant glyph like they had originally planned.
"No Willow, it's all good! You needed to do what you needed to do!" As the two women met in the forest outside The Owl House, Luz had to comfort her anxiety riddled friend, assuring her the time she spent training was probably well used and needed. Maybe I shouldn't have joked with her so much this week about abandoning me... "¡Dios mío, está bien, no más!" Luz finally exclaimed, causing Willow to stop her stream of apologies and explanations, instead turning her full attention to her friend with a face of confusion. "Its fine Wills. Let's just... Focus on the now! You said maybe you found something" Her face was apologetic but happy, wanting to encourage her friend to move on from the situation.
Willow took a deep breath and nodded, "You're right, I just... Well you know" She signed, sounding thankful that Luz had cut her off when she did. Trying to move on to better things and the whole reason she came over unannounced and in such a rush, she pulled out a small planter from her bag. The plant was no bigger than a fist and had a small bulb that looked ready to bloom at any moment. "Okay, so when I was reviewing my notes for my exam, I realized that when I was using the flowers peddles, leaves, or stems or anything like that to do a print – for my personal study manual – it was showing an imprint." She paused, looked at Luz with bright excited eyes, confused when after a moment of silent she didn't speak up. "So, okay, maybe I'm explaining this poorly..." she mumbled, pulling her journal out now too to show her friend instead. "Look here" She stepped close to Luz and pointed at some of the stamps she had made to identify plants, in the inner most circle of the stem there were odd patterns that started to imerge as you looked at more and more examples. Does she see it? Am I crazy? A small pang of anxiety took hold again as she held the book, staring at the brown-haired girl for a reply.
It took several moments but finally Luz let out a small gasp, grasping the book by its edges, her eyes going wide. "I see it!" She bellowed, shocking them both with the volume. "I mean, I don't... I can't make out one whole glyph but that's absolutely a pattern..." She lowered her voice and pointed to a few example that looked so close to her current assortment. The plan had been for them to meet later in the day to train together and pratice her current skills, seeing as they were cutting it close to make any kind of discovery they wanted to. "Is there... I don't know, anywhere in the forest that has really old or big plants that maybe we could peek at a stem or something? These all look incomplete or too small" The excitement in her voice was evident and contagious.
"Of course! We can take a look at the forest behind the school, it's been protected since the school was founded during the crusade! I know I've seen some old plants there." The school was the safest option that Willow could think of, there were tons of places on the Boiling Isles that might hold the secrets they were looking for but all of them had some risks she wasn't willing to take. The only response she got from her overly enthusiastic friend was a nod in reply to her suggestion, after that she checked her signature green jacket for a pencil, pen, notebook and pocket book Eda gave her. "Oh we don't have to go right away! If you need to change or get something or-" before she could go on another tangent Luz put her hand up poletly, catching her attention and causing her to pause.
Luz offered Willow a bright smile, "So worked up! You discovered something amazing, Wills! Let's go figure this out and then we can train, or maybe we just hang out. I think Hooty has put me in my place enough this week..." She grimaced at the memory of Hooty spitting her onto the ground after several failed attempts at catching him or even inconveniencing him. She could see right away the look of confusion that had fallen on her friend face, "I don't wanna talk about it... All I'm saying is I'm good to go if you are!" The brown-haired girl gave the other witch a bright smile that was easily returned, she could have probably used to change since she was only in a tank top with a black sports bra underneath and dark brown cargo pants, but she was too excited to care for appearances.
"Then let's go!" The bright smile Luz had given Willow stayed plastered on her face as they made their way to the old forest behind the school, the walk was long and quiet but gave her some time to reflect on her week of studying. Despite her gift for plant magic, she still struggled with some of the simpler tasks, often over-complicating it as she often did with other facets of her life. I hope that this works for Luz, having another spell would be the perfect thing for her. "Are you going to go to the try outs?" Her sudden inquiry broke the long comfortable silence that had come over them as they walked.
The sudden question caused Luz to jump, having been deep in her thoughts about the Boiling Isles, everything from the sky to the red grass and strange trees to the creatures and people, sometimes it just left her in awe when she let her mind wander. "I... I don't know, I mean, maybe to go watch. Both you and Gus seem to really enjoy Grudgby and Flyer derby... I'll have to check out whatever that Toxo, something, is. Oh, or did you mean like the try outs after we get accepted?" It took her a moment to realize that Willow could have meant the actual tryouts rather than the ones taking place during their exams.
Willow let out a small chuckle as Luz fumbled with her answer, "I meant after we get accepted, but we can go watch the tryouts, you haven't had the chance to experience much of the sports atmosphere." Whenever she thought of all the things Luz had yet to experience, there was a pang of sadness in her chest as it brought forth the thought that she would have to leave at some point and not some point in the distant future but relatively soon. "Hexside has a lot of pride when it comes to their sports teams... I've never tried out because... Well you know"
Hearing the dip in Willows voice Luz turned to look at her, raising her eyebrows in surprise at the sudden shift "New year with new opportunities Wills! Nothing is holding you back, what did you want to try out for?" She gave the other witch a small pat on her back as they continued their walk, trying to coax her friend back out of her thoughts.
"Heh, I guess you are right. I think I just psych myself out, I haven't exactly been into sports or had the confidence to really go for it." Her anxiety was evident now in the way her voice wavered as she spoke about her insecurities, she had made it a long way already in terms of feeling more confident in her skin and in her magical abilities, but untested waters still felt like too much.
Shaking her head Luz gave Willow a small shove, causing her friend to let out a small gasp as she stumbled. "Oh come on, you have me here and Gus is the cheer squad MVP, you've seen his magical banners and flag waving skills." the statement caused a smile to spread across the witches lips, however before she could reply she was suddenly aware of their surroundings. They walked faster than expected and reached the older part of the forest close to Hexside. The human girl was in awe of the ancient feeling that felt thick in the air, unsure of where to start she looked back to Willow for guidance.
Willow felt Luz's eyes land on her, even though she had been back there before it was rare for her to visit besides when she would run away from bullies in her past. "I think we might be able to find what we need in something that has a really thick stem..." Her words were clear and reasonable but there was a strange distance in her eyes when she looked towards the pair's potential destination. Knowing Luz had never been there before she took the lead again, guiding them deeper into the forest, periodically checking the stems of plants as they walked by. She was thankful that Luz was too in awe of the larger than normal plants and oddities surrounding them than why she was acting weird. "OH!" Suddenly she dropped to her knees and called her friend over. "I think this might be what we need!"
"Its a … Wow, that's a REALLY big vine." Luz was surprised at how large the plant was, it was at least as thick as her clenched fist and that seemed to be where it was tapering off. "Oh... It's a vine so even if we cut into it, it will be okay?" She inquired quickly; they had passed many eligible plants if they had just needed it to be large.
"Right" Willow said with a smile, taking a deep breath she used her magic to slide the vine as if it was soft scream cheese. To their wonder on the inside of the stem in the very center was a strange pattern, it still wasn't quite a whole glyph but as Luz stared, she could suddenly see where the pieces may connect.
Dropping to her knees beside Willow, Luz pulled out her notepad and pen, getting as close as possible to the stalk of the plant. Without looking she was sketching the shape in her notebook so she could try to mix and match with the other pieces her clever plant loving friend found. "Give me a bit of time and I think I might have it!" she gave a bright smile and from then on kept her attention glued to the pages, using multiple pieces to draw out as many iterations as she could come up with, hoping when she tapped one of them it would produce a towering vine. Hmm... Maybe if I put these together... This overlaps with that one... Hm her thoughts and attention were fully absorbed, leaving Willow effectively alone in the forest.
No, Luz is right here... I'm okay Willow silently assured herself, taking the opportunity to calm herself from the creeping anxieties, she hadn't realized how badly the past was pulling her in. As she wondered the area she could see flashed of her past before her, leaving her stunned and only able to watch. Before her was a young Willow, maybe 12 or 13, she had recently lost connection with Amity – her best friend – due to her 'magical inability' and her 'family's status'. The thought boiled her blood, both back then and now. As usual, Boscha had driven her to run into the forest for her safety, she felt safe among the plants and trees, as if she was running to a close-by friend. In this memory, Boscha had a slightly reluctant Skara and an overly hyped Cat and Amelia with her. She gritted her teeth and tried to turn away from the sight before her but was simply too invested. As she watched, she could hear Boscha's voice echoing in her mind "Listen Half a witch, we all know you don't belong, and you certainly don't belong with us. Especially Amity, your association just drags her down." Her pink hair was pulled into a tight bun and her eyes conveyed only a mocking glint, she had been selected by Amitys parents to be friends and in a similar instant cast Willow out. She could hear her words of despair, begging for them to leave her alone, but Cat and Amelia wanted to prove themselves and they were relentless, Amelia used her plant magic to trip Willow and even hold her in place while Boscha mocked her, called her names and degraded her. As if she hadn't already been her own worst enemy. As these images floated in and out of her head, she could feel anger bubbling deep within her, uncontrollable and desperate anger that sought relief.
Luz was too busy recreating the glyph with alternating pieces from the plants, a small hum the only sound she was making as she worked. After what felt like an eternity in her own mind, she finally let out a triumphant "Aha!", the glyph was done and perfectly formed in front of her the smallest of vines poking out from the ground. I'll have to ask Willow what I need to think of... I tried to get a bigger vine out of this and... here we are she chuckled under her breath as she examined the tiny plant she had sprouting from the ground. Surprised Willow wasn't at her side yet she pulled herself out of her thoughts and turned to her, about to hold up the glyph paper when she suddenly saw it. The dangerous, glowing green eyes that had flashed on her face that day she met her. "Wills?" She asked in a small voice, hoping she was still in there enough to grab her attention and bring her back. what's gotten into her... I thought this would be a place of calm for her! she exclaimed in her mind as she stared, frozen in place.
The anger racing within Willows mind was too great and something within her simply snapped, although Luz wasn't a part of her anguish all she could see was the people who had wronged her. "You think it's funny? I was defenseless! I needed a friend" She growled; her teeth tightly clenched as she turned menacingly at the source of the sound. Even though she saw Luz, the image in her mind of Boscha, Cat and Amelia overrode all sense of reality causing her to lash out at her friend. Her mind was racing, and her heart stung as it replayed her terror, her loneliness, her failures. "No more!" She yelled and in an instant vine had wrapped around her legs lifting her a foot off the ground, at the same time the bundle of vines holding her up also sent a tendril out towards the human's feet to knock her over.
A yelp came from Luz's lips as she dove out of the way, rolling and staggering back up to her feet, feeling dizzy. Before she could utter another word to her friend a plant of Willows design popped into existence next to her and grabbed at her with thorny vines. With a hard yank and a small swear under her breath she pulled herself free, cursing as she touched the ripped fabric. "This is my favourite jacket, Willow!" She yelled, shaking a fist as she ran, putting some space between them. Getting no response, she ripped a piece of paper from her book that was tightly clutched in her hands, throwing it on the ground a wall of ice appeared giving Luz the chance to increase the space between them and hopefully enough time to think of a plan. There was no warning... And what was that she said. Needed a friend? I am her friend... she thought about it for a moment while running, only letting the thought go when her leg was grabbed in a tight embrace. "Oh for... Not the pants too" she groaned, not seeming to mind the fall, she was more upset about the clothes she brought with her. In a panic she kicked the vine off, her heart slammed faster in her chest when she saw how quickly her friend was closing the gap between them, ah Titan I wanted training, but this is... A bit intense she scrambled to her feet and slammed another glyph down, blinding the witch for a moment, just enough time to keep running. She was starting to get winded from the constant tumbling and dodging, "I didn't mean to upset you!" She yelled, hoping to trigger some kind of response.
Finally as she saw a small flicker of emotion on Willows face, giving her hope that the crazed witch could actually hear her. "Please, Wills! Snap out of it!" she shouted, pleading with her friend, when she saw the hard lines on her friend's face soften, she slammed the new glyph down on the ground. Silently praying that it did what she needed and immobilized her and gave her a real chance to shake her from her waking nightmare. As the vine met Willows body it wrapped around her and knocked her off her viney pedestal, as she stared, she could have sworn there was something behind her friend at the time of impact but after running up to her immobilized friend she couldn't detect anything else. Before she knelt beside Willow she gave a look around the small clearing and shrugged, unable to find any indication they weren't alone. "Willow! Hey, its me, Luz! The human, best friend, newly found plant magic user? Infamous trouble-maker? Super charming?" After a few moments of her talking and trying to snap her from her waking nightmare a smile spread across the witches face, bringing relief to the human girl.
In a quiet and raspy voice Willow blinked away the glowing green eyes and made eye contact with Luz, "Hey Luz" She said almost casually before taking in her surroundings, "Oh" the realization of what happened seemed to hit her like a ton of bricks, tears were suddenly welling at the corners of her eyes. Upon seeing this reaction Luz panicked and pulled the strong vines from around her friend, the dark-haired witches stomach dropped low as she felt an odd sense of guilt flood her. "I didn't mean to hurt you, I got really overwhelmed and I didn't even notice..." She whispered the words and jumped when she was suddenly pulled into a tight hug, it only took a brief moment for her to return it and sigh. "Ha... I didn't think I had any issues with the forget but here we are... Maybe it was some good practice?" She offered the potential positive side, earning a launch from her human friend.
"Sure Wills" She teased but knew that it was a good experience to have and even though she had made a few attempts to run it was all to avoid hurting her friend unnecessarily, not something she would do with a test abomination. "How about we uhh... Go back and you can show me some more tricks? Maybe we can figure some more stuff out about the glyph." She offered a smile and presented a hand to help Willow back up to her feet that her friend happily took. "You know if you can harness some of that energy you would be unstoppable! Think of the possibilities" She nudged the dark-haired girl's arm and received a small shove in return. It was evident she was feeling better but if Luz knew her friend – and she thought she really did – then she was putting on a bit of a front. "You don't have to talk about it... but I'm here" she said softly, gesturing for Willow to take the lead as she had almost no idea where they were in the large forest of endless red and purples.
It was clear that Willow appreciated Luz's friendship and offers of support, "I'll take you up on that sometime... I think maybe for today we should just get the heck outta here" She let out a choked laugh, forcing herself to put the experience behind her and focus on the next steps. "Lets get some practice in and then I think I need a nap, feels like I got hit by a worm" she groaned, stretching her arms across her body.
The two walked back to the Owl House, chatting about the potential applications of the plant glyph, testing it occasionally on their walk back to see if it was only vines, they could command or if it was all plants. They discovered if you concentrate enough, you will have no problem getting the glyph to provide a variety of plants and vines, but it was a bit more technical than the light glyph. Willow didn't stay long after they arrvied back at the house, it was clear the ordeal had taken some real energy from her, their exams were the next day and both needed as much rest and practice as possible. Wishing each other a good night they parted ways, leaving Luz to practice with Hooty for another hour before dinner. That night when she was practicing geography, she paused on where they had been earlier in the forest and traced her finger from there to the Blight manor. … We were pretty close... So... Maybe I did see something. the thought sent an odd flutter through her. "Ugh... I gotta get to sleep before I can't function tomorrow" she yawned and crawled into her makeshift bed, falling into her dreamworld faster than most nights, body and mind exhausted.