A Break From It All (Emily --> Open)

[Riley]

OOC: For clarity's sake, I'm having Riley know Emily's name, since he's in the Militia thread with her, and will learn her name, but if not, then I'll fix it.

Lunchtime. Riley sat up in one of the many trees that was scattered around the school grounds, he wore a black North Face jacket, made of light material, white Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt, blue jeans, and black Converse shoes, his backpack resting on his legs, as he watched groups of students sit down, talking to their friends, even a few fights breaking out here and there, in short, people acting in their cliques. Riley was not one of them. He was not part of a clique. He was sitting in a tree located near a small corner of the school grounds. The sun shined down on Riley, casting shadows on him here and there, as he ate a sandwich. Riley always ate outside, or on the rooftop, never in the cafeteria. He always did that, no matter what school he was at, and this school was no different. As he sat unnoticed up in the tree, the sun shined down on him, casting shadows on him here and there, as he finished eating his sandwich.

He then began to feel his back start to get a bit sore, as he sat up on the branch, and slung his bag over his shoulder. He then noticed a girl sitting under a young tree in the corner that he was at, so he wasn't the only one here. Riley could tell already she was not part of any clique, how you ask? Well, because she wasn't with anyone else, duh. He took a closer look at her, and recognized her from the meeting in the library that he had been requested to go through through a text message, the one regarding the gang Militia. "Hey," he called out, his hands resting lightly on the tree branch, "Up here. No, not over there," he said, slightly exasperated, it sounded like his voice had come from another tree close by, "Over here, above you, and to the left. I know you. Well, I don't know know you, but I recognize you, from the meeting in the library, Emily right?"

Sunlight shined down through the branches of the tree, as a light breeze blew through Riley's hair, whipping his unzipped hoodie around a bit, as he made his presence known, he continued to sit on the branch, he hoped her got her name right, if he didn't, oh man...

[seishounohana]

Red scarf tied on her forehead...

The trademark fans hanging loosely by metal bracelets on her belt...

the green tank top and denim shorts...

Black toeshoes...

Amo's vest...

Yeah, Emily was part of no specific clique. She was very different.

Unlike many girls, she was more or less alone and almost never caught with someone else. She liked the silence, and the peace that came with it.

This school was peaceful so far and it was good. Emily sat there, learning against the tree, listening to a soundtrack from her cellphone. Apparently one of her manga had been made into an anime, and she was more or less elated about that.

No one knew about that though, and Emily wasn't about to change that. Let the otaku scream, they have all the right to.

"Hey,"

Emily looked around. "Up here. No, not over there," She looked up at the wall, then the window. Nope, not there.

"Over here, above you, and to the left. I know you. Well, I don't know know you, but I recognize you, from the meeting in the library, Emily right?" Ah, so there he was. Emily was thankful she didn't wear her dress today, or Mister tree-climber here would've seen something he probably would've regretted seeing (her cleavage >_>;;)

"Um... and you're mister Riley, right? From the meeting... eh?"

Yeah...

She wasn't so sure about his name.

[Riley]

Riley watched, an expression torn between amusement and exasperation on his face, as he saw Emily look around, his voice had caught her attention. He saw her eyes search around, looking for where he was, looking over at the wall and the window, but he wasn't there. He then gave her some directions to where he was perched, as she finally found him, he grinned slightly and waved a bit, as he continued to sit in the tree, the cold wind that was blowing not bothering him too much. He looked down at her with a look of polite curiosity, she was definitely not part of any clique, for one thing, the music he had heard come from her cellphone was from a soundtrack he believed, what specific soundtrack, he wasn't quite sure about currently.

"Um... and you're mister Riley, right? From the meeting... eh?"

As soon as he heard this, Riley chuckled a bit, it's not that he was laughing at Emily, it was just, he had never heard anyone call him mister before. "Ahahaha, sorry about that," he apologized after he had finished chuckling, as he brought his left leg up, resting his foot on the tree branch, his knee bent as he rested his arm on his knee, "It's just, I never heard anyone call me mister before in my life, I'm not used to hearing that." Lifting himself up slightly, Riley slipped off the branch he had been perched on, and dropped down lightly onto the ground below, landing flat on his feet, before straightening up and giving Emily a friendly smile. "And yeah, my name is Riley, Riley Davis. We didn't really quite have a formal introduction back at the meeting," he said, a bit of a sheepish look on his face, "So how about we start over again? It's nice to meet you Emily."

Riley held his hand out to her, whether she accepted it or not, was fine with him. "I'm going to hazard a guess and assume you came from PHS 259? Since that's where most of the transfers came from, me included." Yeah, Riley had come from PHS 259, even though he had been there for only a little while. He had met a couple people, but beyond that, he didn't know anybody else. Now's a good a time as any to make new friends... right?

[seishounohana]

"Ahahaha, sorry about that," Emily blinked, still looking up. What was he laughing for? "It's just, I never heard anyone call me mister before in my life, I'm not used to hearing that."

Emily then laughed as well. Why, she hadn't caught herself saying "mister" in a while. Oh well, force of habit. Riley landed on the floor and extended a hand for a handshake, maybe? Emily took it and shook it. It was nice to meet new friends. "And yeah, my name is Riley, Riley Davis. We didn't really quite have a formal introduction back at the meeting, so how about we start over again? It's nice to meet you Emily."

Emily nodded, taking her hand back. "Emily, Emily delos Santos. The pleasure's all mine, Riley." She would smile, silencing her phone. Of course, she was conversing already and it would be rude if she didn't give it her full attention.

"I'm going to hazard a guess and assume you came from PHS 259? Since that's where most of the transfers came from, me included."

Emily tilted her head. "Ah, yeah. I've transfered from there. How about you? Are you a native?"

Usually natives ask her that question.

[Riley]

As Riley apologized to her, he saw her blink and look up at him, as he explained why he had been laughing. He then heard her laugh, as he smiled slightly, it was rather funny. Who calls someone mister? Well, little kids do, but she wasn't a little kid. He then slipped off the tree branch and landed on the ground, as he then extended his hand for a handshake, as he saw Emily take his hand and shake it. The first step of making a friend, complete. He then released her hand, as he saw her take it back as he introduced his full name. "Emily, Emily delos Santos. The pleasure's all mine, Riley." "Likewise Emily," Riley replied back, as he saw her smile,"It's been a while since I met anyone new." He then asked if she came from PHS 259, since that's where a lot of the transfer students had come from, he had been one of them, though he had thankfully avoided the earthquake.

"Ah, yeah. I've transferred from there. How about you? Are you a native?"

Eh? Didn't Riley state before he was a transfer just now? Oh well, not a big deal, he took it in stride, as he saw Emily had tilted her head. "Ah, actually, no, I'm not a native, I'm a 259 transfer too, but I managed to avoid the earthquake that struck 259. Shame about what happened to the school, some of my friends managed to get here unharmed, though a few others, I don't know what happened to them." Riley, though he looked calm, was actually a bit concerned, mostly because he didn't know about what had happened to Reira. He knew Matrim was fine, having seen him, but Riley did not feel like asking Matrim about Reira, because honestly, the two of them were not on good terms. Never had been, they could tolerate each other, but beyond that, never friends.

"How about you? Did your friends make it here okay?"

[James Everwood]

James was walking and he was enjoying his day outside. After all it was around eating time, and he loved eating time! Eating time was when you got to eat food. And food was good. You had your meat group (hot pockets) you're vegetable group (Corn Nuts) you're dairy group (chocolate milk) and you're fruit group (fruit flavored gummy bears). He was walking along eating his fruit group when he saw someone talking to a tree in the corner of his eye.

He looked over and she was a pretty girl and all, but talking to trees didn't seem very healthy... from a purely mental standpoint that is. So he decided he would see who this girl was. That is, until he heard the tree say something, "How about you? Did your friends make it here okay?"

"Whoa, at first I thought you were just talking to a tree but...." James looked up from his angle, not seeing anyone in the tree right away, "The tree is actually talking back..."

He was amazed by this, but then he noticed there was a person in the tree and closed his mouth which was gaping at the talking tree. He nodded in agreement with himself that he was crazy to ever accept the existence of a talking tree, and then grabbed a few more gummy bears, popping them into his mouth.

[seishounohana]

Aye, stupid Emily. Asking for a repeat. Gah, it just made her sound that she's not even listening to him. Oh well,what's done is done.

"Ah, actually, no, I'm not a native, I'm a 259 transfer too, but I managed to avoid the earthquake that struck 259. Shame about what happened to the school, some of my friends managed to get here unharmed, though a few others, I don't know what happened to them."

"Ah." The topic of the earthquake suddenly depressed Emily as she remembered a certain german. Part of her wanted to go back, just to see if he was alright. She wasn't so sure if a text message would cut it either. It was either he was really busy, or the earthquake screwed up telecommunications in Long Beach. None the less, the girl was worried, and began to drift off into her own world again.

"How about you? Did your friends make it here okay?"

Emily snapped back to reality. Oh dear, she needs to stop thinking like this. Jon should be alright... yeah... he should be.

He must be.

Emily just made a sleepish smile, looking down. "I'm not so sure they all did. I... just hope they did."

"Whoa, at first I thought you were just talking to a tree but.... The tree is actually talking back..."

Emily blinked and pointed to Riley. "Actually, I was talking to him. He came down from the tree a moment ago -- didn't you notice?"

This guy's needing some glasses.

[Riley]

"Ah." Riley was no mind-reader, but he could tell Emily was worried about something, just by the tone of her voice. Heck, Riley was worried too, he was now even more worried about Reira, he wanted to know if his best friend was alright, to hear her voice, to see her, to touch her, to know that she was fine. He wanted to call her cell, but he had no idea how bad the damage the earthquake caused to Long Beach, or how badly affected the telecommunication lines would be, or if Reira would even be able to receive his call or not. All this made Riley worry, but he knew Reira was a tough girl, she could take care of herself, no, she would take care of herself, she would be fine. She had gone through tougher situations than this before, she would be able to handle it and get through it. Just thinking this, made Riley feel a bit better, as he then asked Emily about her friends, if they made it here okay too, as he saw her grin as she looked down at the ground.

"I'm not so sure they all did. I... just hope they did."

"Don't ever stop believing that they made it safely," Riley said, almost fiercely, "Just trust that they made it, and they will. I know... I don't know if my best friend is alright or not, but I won't stop believing she's fine." Riley looked down at the ground briefly, his eyes slightly sad, before he looked back at Emily and smiled kindly at her. "Whoa, at first I thought you were just talking to a tree but.... The tree is actually talking back..." Riley blinked and looked around, before seeing a guy nearby, who had just popped some gummy bears into his mouth, as he saw Emily blink and then point at him. "Actually, I was talking to him. He came down from the tree a moment ago -- didn't you notice?" Riley stared at the guy, his expression basically looking like this: ^__^; If the guy didn't notice Riley had just dropped down from the tree, man, he needed some glasses... or in this guy's case, since Riley noticed he was wearing an eye patch as he looked closer, a monocle.

"Talking trees... What's next, talking shrubs?"

[James Everwood]

"Actually, I was talking to him. He came down from the tree a moment ago -- didn't you notice?"

"Sorry, I guess he was just on my blind side," He said, pointing up at his eye patch. He then looked over at the kid she was pointing at, "But I'm not crazy in the sense that she was talking to a tree for a moment there.... I guess I was just distracted...."

By the pretty lady.....

"A talking shrub huh," James thought about it, "As long as it isn't on fire and talking to me. Then I'd either think it was a message from God, or a sign that the shrub was actually some sort of drug. In any case, I didn't mean to interrupt or barge in on you guys.... but I couldn't help but over hear your conversation.. what happened if you don't mind my asking?"

He was generally just curious about the situation. After all, they seemed rather upset about this, and he wanted to help. Even if it was by being there to just listen to the story, he wanted to understand why they were like this. He wished there was something he could do, but somehow he knew there wasn't anything he could do. He was pretty useless when it came right down to it.

[seishounohana]

"Don't ever stop believing that they made it safely," Riley said, almost fiercely, "Just trust that they made it, and they will. I know... I don't know if my best friend is alright or not, but I won't stop believing she's fine."

Emily smiled, muttering a thanks. Yeah, that brought her spirits back. At least, by only a bit -- just enough for her to keep her chin up and be assured that "Unfettered" was alright. After all, he was strong. No doubt about that.


"Sorry, I guess he was just on my blind side," James said, pointing up at his eye patch.

Eye patch.

Aye, what was with her and everything reminding her of him?

"Talking trees... What's next, talking shrubs?"

"A talking shrub huh? as long as it isn't on fire and talking to me. Then I'd either think it was a message from God, or a sign that the shrub was actually some sort of drug. In any case, I didn't mean to interrupt or barge in on you guys.... but I couldn't help but over hear your conversation.. what happened if you don't mind my asking?"

Emily giggled about the Burning bush comment, it was funny to the girl... who was coincidentally a roman catholic. Not that we're talking about religion at all, but yeah.

"We were talking about our old school. It got ruined because of an earthquake." she smiled and looked up at James, still sitting on the grass. "I'm Emily, this is Riley. You are?"

Introductions!

[Riley]

Riley's expression softened a bit, not quite so fierce anymore, as he saw Emily smile and mutter a thanks, as he shook his head, indicating thanks was not necessary. "Sorry, I guess he was just on my blind side," Riley looked over at the other guy, who pointed up at his eye patch, before looking over at Riley, "But I'm not crazy in the sense that she was talking to a tree for a moment there.... I guess I was just distracted...." Riley casually shrugged his shoulders, being generally ignored was something he was used to, having been a ghost for two years. "A talking shrub huh? As long as it isn't on fire and talking to me. Then I'd either think it was a message from God, or a sign that the shrub was actually some sort of drug. In any case, I didn't mean to interrupt or barge in on you guys.... but I couldn't help but over hear your conversation.. what happened if you don't mind my asking?"

Riley snickered quietly at this, as he heard Emily giggle. Burning bush. It seemed he wasn't the only one who found it funny. "If I see a burning bush, either God is talking to me, or I've gone insane in the membrane." "We were talking about our old school. It got ruined because of an earthquake." "What she said." Riley agreed, as he saw her smile and look over at the guy. "I'm Emily, this is Riley. You are?" Again, what she said. There wasn't very much for Riley to say... well, almost nothing. "Pirates of the San Francisco. If you see anybody else wearing an eye patch, you should create a pirate crew." Riley chuckled, looking at James, he remembered Matrim wore an eye patch too, the thing looked ridiculous too, but Riley didn't know if Matrim still wore the thing or not. "But yeah, I'm Riley." Riley held his hand out in a friendly gesture to the guy, whether the guy shook his hand or not, didn't really matter to Riley.

"I'm gonna hazard a guess and assume you're a native?"

[James Everwood]

"We were talking about our old school. It got ruined because of an earthquake." The girl said, and he felt kind of bad for asking now. He also listened to what Riley had said about making a pirate crew, and he laughed a little at it. He enjoyed jokes about eye patches, he came up for them on his own time after all.

"Well, if you know anybody with a jolly roger flag just let me know," He said, and smiled. He listened to them introduce themselves and he shook Riley's hand, "I'm James."

"I'm gonna hazard a guess and assume you're a native?" Riley asked and James laughed at the phrase he had used.

"How," He said, holding his hand up in a stereotypical Native American greeting of sorts. He then took a seat on the grass not too far from Emily. He let out a groan as he sat down slowly, "Ugh, I'm getting old.... oh, yeah. I'm from around here, didn't really transfer or nothing like you guys. Sorry to hear about your school though. I'm sure your friends made it. I've seen some of you transfer students fighting... you guys are stronger then you appear. It'd probably take a lot more then an earthquake to take one of you guys out."

It'd probably take the apocalypse itself to bring down Sara... she's insane....

[seishounohana]

Emily laughed along as the pirate jokes were thrown around, and smiled. It was nice to actually see a native who was not hostile to them -- after all, they were transfers. "Ugh, I'm getting old.... oh, yeah. I'm from around here, didn't really transfer or nothing like you guys. Sorry to hear about your school though. I'm sure your friends made it. I've seen some of you transfer students fighting... you guys are stronger then you appear. It'd probably take a lot more then an earthquake to take one of you guys out."

Emily looked down and smiled, still quite silent; deep in thought. "How did you get your eyepatch? Did you lose an eye?" She asked, quite curious.

After all, it was one of the things she never really knew about "Unfettered". Maybe this would give her some sort of insight onto it, at least for someone else's view.

Emily never really had much of a physical problem -- but her heart was broken more than enough times. It was like a fate she couldn't escape, or fight against. Oh, life.

Why?

[Riley]

"Well, if you know anybody with a jolly roger flag just let me know." Riley heard the guy say, as he heard both him and Emily laugh at Riley's comment regarding a pirate crew, before smiling and shaking Riley's hand. "I'm James." "Nice to meet you James." Riley replied, as he released James' hand. Riley then asked if James was a native, meaning, he wasn't a transfer student, not a Native American. "How." He heard James say, holding his hand up in a stereotypical Native American greeting, as Riley laughed quietly, as he saw James take a seat on the grass not too far from Emily, letting out a groan as he sat down slowly. It was nice to see one of the regular students not treat them with hostility, being transfers and all, the regular students were exactly thrilled with having to share their school with all the 259 transfers, and Riley couldn't really blame them.

"Ugh, I'm getting old.... oh, yeah. I'm from around here, didn't really transfer or nothing like you guys. Sorry to hear about your school though. I'm sure your friends made it. I've seen some of you transfer students fighting... you guys are stronger then you appear. It'd probably take a lot more then an earthquake to take one of you guys out."

Riley saw Emily look down and smile, so he decided to answer for the both of them. "Nah, more like a tsunami. We're stubborn as hell, and don't back down easily, though a 50 foot wave would definitely take us out." Riley stood in front of Emily, his hands in his pockets, he could tell she was deep in thought. "How did you get your eyepatch? Did you lose an eye?" Yeah, Riley was kind of curious himself about that too. "Yeah, arrr matey, how did yee lose yee eye?" Riley asked in a pirate voice, "Tell, or yee be sent to Davey Jones' locker."

[James Everwood]

"How did you get your eyepatch? Did you lose an eye?"

James smiled smugly at Emily. Mostly because he was able to finally say this to someone. He had always wanted to answer this question this way, "I didn't lose my eye," He said with a smile, "I know exactly where it is. As for the eye patch I got it from a facial prosthetic place. I passed up the whole glass eye thing, I found those extremely creepy."

He then turned to Riley and said, "Yee be going the right way for a plank walk Mr. Riley, I be the captain of this vessel, yar!" He said, forming a hook with two of the fingers on his right hand, making a hooking motion a few times at Riley before returning to his smug smile from being so clever about his eye answer. "If you want to know what happened to it, I'll tell you another time, kay? I promise, even if you have to run up to may and grab me by the hair and yell 'Jake tell me how you became a cyclops!' and I'll say 'first of all my names James, and this is how it happened'..."

He then asked a question of his own, "Well, I'll have to remember that tsunami bit in case you get troublesome. Although I'm still kinda thinking you'd come out on top in that fight. But I just got to know, what did you guys bring over with you. The pillars, they are strong, but all the people who transferred. Are there any specific people to avoid? Are there any especially dangerous types?"