A chance encounter, an unlikely friendship, and learning to move on

[King Serperior]

Original Request

OOC:  Okay, let's get the CS out of the way!

CS

Name:  Tobias Valley
Age:  21

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It was the October of the Year 1995 when Tobias made his way to the newly refurbished dorm of Lake Vally University.  He stopped just outside the dorm and sighed.  Despite the fact that he was excited to have finally made it to Lake Vally, he was a little nervous.  His parents had very little money, barely enough to pay his way to get here, yet the paid anyway.  Sadly, he couldn't pay to get one of the newer and more luxurious dorms and was stuck inside the old girls dorm.  From what he had read, this dorm was abandoned for almost thirty years after a student committed suicide in her room.  There were no details as the school and the parents hushed everyone who knew anything.

Tobias shook his head laughing.  Only his older sister, Jessica, believed in the occolt.  She had declared herself a witch and became a fast study in healing herbs and spices.  After taking in the view for another five minutes or so, Tobias heaved his bag up higher along his back and began pulling his suitcase into the building.  This was going to be a long semester, seeing as he would have to walk about a half mile to get to the nearest occupied dorm.  Sighing, he found room 217, the same room that the girl apparently died in. 

Upon opening the door and looking around, he felt a sense of relief.  It was just an ordinary dorm room.  It was less than half the size of the more expensive standard dorms, but it had a personal shower and bathroom for every room.  No other dorm could say such a thing.

Tobias, feeling better about the place, set his things down on the table and leaped on the bottom bunk of the bed.  That was the odd thing about this old dorm.  Every room had a bunk bed.  Shrugging, Tobias lay back and closed his eyes.  He had all day today to unpack.  Classes started tomorrow, but he had only one schedualed, so he wasn't too worried.  With a peachful sigh, Tobias fell into a very light sleep......

[Ariel]

CS

Name: Mia Jareau.
Age: Died in 1990 at the age of 21.
Appearance:
Location: Lake Valley Uni; room 217.

Someone was here. She could sense it. She could hear the man's large footsteps as he padded up the hall, heard his fumble into his jean pocket for the key, hissed in anger as the door was unlocked and opened.

Mia had been aimlessly floating around above the bed, lying down with her eyes closed. She often pretended that she was still alive, that she was just another college student taking a nap before getting up to go to her AP English class. Not a freak ghost who couldn't move on, who was stuck in the mortal world to dwell in self pity and hate, always hate and anger.

The man was broad, tall, handsome. Mia found herself in approval, and shook her head violently, then glared at him with dead gray eyes. Not that he would see her, no one ever saw her. No one had a sixth sense, no one was special enough. It was rather lonely.

So she didn't flinch when the light turned on, didn't move from his bed, merely sat up and glared, barely transparent, her form shimmering occasionally to blend in with the blank wall behind her before resuming its gray shape.

"You look like a loser." She spat, more for herself than him. It helped her vent on the sudden roommate situation, and it's not like he could hear her anyways..

[King Serperior]

Tobias was nearly asleep when he suddenly heard someone say, "You look like a loser."  He sat bolt upright, nearly hitting his head against the top bunk.  Upon looking around, Tobias saw no one, but got off the bed anyway.  He knew he wasn't crazy, but it sounded like the voice came from this very room.

"Hello?" Tobias called out, "There anyone here?"  When he didn't hear an answer for a couple of minutes, he shruged and walked back to the bed and lay back down.  Tobias knew he heard something.  It sounded like it came right beside him, but that was crazy talk......unless this room really was haunted.

He started laughing at the thought.  "Hey, anyone here?  Come out."  Snorting, Tobias turned over to face the wall.......and that was when he saw some faint distortion.  He frowned and lifted himself to his elbows to get a better look.  He followed the very faint distortion upwards until he saw something......something that looked like eyes......and they were staring back!!!

[Ariel]

Of course he would lay down, barely an inch or so ahead of her. Mia was angry, making a disgrunted face as her bed - her bed! - was invaded by a stranger. A handsome stranger, but still. She was pissed. She scooted back as if he had rabies, hugging the wall as her dead eyes glowered at him. To hell with it, she just threw her hands up in frustration and drifted up, her transparent body easily moving through the mattress and floating in the top bunk as if it was nothing.

Her words hung in the air, full of vicious intent. Mia couldn't help but widen her eyes in shock as the man raised his head and looked around in surprise, as if he heard her. Was it possible? Could he? Curious, she peeked over the edge of the bunk as he looked around the room, then turned to look up at the top. She quickly darted back, mouth parted in what looked like surprise. It took her a second to realize that she was attempting to draw in a shocked breath, but couldn't.

She couldn't feel pain physically, per se, but she still could feel emotion, and since she was merely a spirit, such things could wound her spirit enough to remember and actually feel the ghost memories of sharp pain. Right now, where her heart used to be was a deep stab that had her wincing in confusion and clutching her chest dramatically. At times, when she attempted to do something human and as simple as twist a doorknob or just breathe hit close to home and always made her blink rapidly, as if fighting off phantom tears.

When the man had settled back down, she waited to see if he was asleep, then floated back down and stared blankly at his back. Did he really hear her? Could he see her? Did he have the Sight? Suddenly, he turned and met her gaze, and they both shrieked in fear and jumped away. She fumbled for something to say, but could only come up with, "Get out of my room! Perv."

[King Serperior]

"ARRRGH!" cried Tobias as he lept out of the bed.  Once he had backed as far from the bed as he could, he realized that he could see her.....yes her....floating just inches off the top of the bed.  The woman, a very beautiful woman, suddenly yelled out, "Get out of my room! Perv."  This struck something deep within Tobias as he had never been called a pervert before.

"Look, lady, ghost, sprite, supernatural being, I don't know who you are, but this room was empty when I walked in!  In fact, I couldn't see you until I turned and faced the wall."  Tobias was breathing rather hard after that outburst, but he was scared and curious all at once.  Before he could say anything, the almost completely transparent woman suddenly seemed to grow more opaque.  Her outline solidified and he could see that she was very very pretty.  Better than he had originally thought when she was almost invisable.

It was then that he remembered something that his sister told him when he was younger about how ghosts became more powerful as their emotions peaked.  It was said that they feed off the energy and emotion in their vicinity and it gave them strength.  Tobias has been scared that ghosts could eat all the energy in his body and asked his sister.  She had laughed saying that while a ghost feeds off energy, they can't feel off of direct life force.  Energy and emotion, which was evaporated life force, was what they fed upon.  Over time, if there is enough energy or emotion in an area, a ghost could transition into a polterghiest stage where they can physically cause things to happen.  However, this power is very short lived.

After  coming back to reality, Tobias looked at the girl and asked in a much calmer voice, "You said 'my room' just now.  Are you.....are you the girl that died here all those years ago?"

[Ariel]

Mia was infuriated as the mortal backed away from her in fear. As if she was going to hurt him! No, if he left now, she would have been so inclined to let him leave without a scratch. But no, there he still was, infiltrating her room, staring at her as if she was the scariest thing he had ever seen.

She huffed and floated off the bed, levitating off the ground in front of the bunk beds as she glared daggers at him. Her fury was reaching a peak and she felt her body start to solidify, making her easier to see. She was no longer a disdainful gray color. Her long tresses darkened to a natural chocolate brown, her dark sapphire glaring at the handsome stranger, her feet dropping to rest on the ground. She was dressed in what she died in, blue skinny jeans and a white halter tank top that flowed around her waist.

"Am I the girl who- No, you idiot, I'm just another apparition." Mia snapped angrily at him, taking a step forward, mere inches from him now. Her eyes flashed with anger and, even though she looked solid, she wasn't. She couldn't harm the living, as she had tried before. She wasn't sure if she could simply touch them, and she decided to try that later, because she was too mad right now to care.

"And who are you?" She hissed, her hands on her hips, glaring into his soft brown eyes.