In The Next Life (Me, Wormy and Were!)

[Moonlit Dream]

Wincing visibly as the doors were flung open, Alex took one look at the clearly-angry Professor Lovecraft and shrank down a little, the look on his face turning from cheerful, to downright miserable. "S-Sir...? I hate to c-correct you, but her name is Chimere, and m-mine is..." He trailed off as he saw the look on the professor's face. At first he seemed dumbstruck, but then slowly, helplessness gave way to his usual level-headed cockiness, which would likely end up all the worse for him. "Whaddaya mean, 'meddling in the affairs of those beyond my status'? We're allowed to have private lives in this school, aren't we? Or is it suddenly illegal now? Doesn't seem too fair to me." he pointed out, a reasoning and deceptively calm tone to his voice.

Making his silent way down an already quiet corridor, Keegan was looking down at the ground, hazel stare blank. His white hair moved a little as he did, even though his every action seemed to be locked in slow motion. Despite this, if one tried to match his motions, they would find nothing but the fact that they would have to move normally, if a little quicker, than normal in order to keep up. Looking up eventually, Keegan's eyes gleamed with a silver, moonlike sheen as he set his gaze upon a newcomer to this place. They seemed to be trying to be sneaky, for some strange reason, and one that Keegan could not fathom for the life of him. Sliding silently down the hall like a serpent, Keegan came to a slow halt before them and bowed his head a little, hiding the eyes that stood out against the paleness and the pure white glow of the rest of him, even his clothes. "Greetings. I do not believe I have seen you around here before?" He spoke as a question, although it sounded more like it should have been a statement. His voice was gently English accented, and with a strange, hypnotic lull to it, despite the lack of emotion other than pure calm that swayed the voice.

((What the fudge, my spellcheck says that Keegan's name is spelled wrong...))

[Wormgod]

((I've met a Keegan who spells his name like that...WTH spell-check?
Barbas: *using a demon-dog to English translator* But I don't want to hurt Kurou...Javed makes me do it! *sad dog face*))
Barbas stepped around the emaciated man and nurse and looked into the room. Chimere was sitting close to Kurou in the nurse's office. The emaciated man let off waves of anger at the two, snapping at the girl. His hands formed an odd shape that confused Barbas, and Chimere seemed affected by it. She stood, and then the man growled at Kurou.
Back in the room, Javed was furious. He saw and understood everything through Barbas' eyes, and he wished he was there himself. Furious at Kurou for daring to be with Chimere, and furious at that teacher for his attitude. Thought the connection, Barbas' felt all of this anger. His eyes flashed red and his fur changed to black as he started to growl.
The closest victim was Lovecraft. Barbas lunged for the man.


Joseph paled as watched the scene unfold. He backed up until he was against the wall. Did this thing happen normally? Were dogs allowed to attack men? He hoped not. Dogs had a habit of tearing his prosthetic arm off.

A boy with white-hair and clothes moved toward him. Joseph didn't notice until the boy spoke. He jumped in surprise, "Um, n-no...I just got here today."

[miraphoenix]

"Your names, your true names, are the ones I have named you with, Kurou!" Lovecraft replied, his voice cold and calculating. "I am merely trying to save what little bit of sanity you possess, Kurou. Cthulhu's an Elder God; her presence spells doom for those who are not used to their touch." Whipping around as he heard Barbas growl, he sneered, and brought out a small version of the strange purple bellows, hanging it in the demon-dog's face. "Please, Clavicus. Act your age; your real one. This does not involve you."

Directed out of the way by the strange motion Professor Lovecraft had made, Chimere stood on the sidelines, desperation in her eyes, for, despite her best efforts, she found herself mentally unable to disobey the teacher's unspoken order to remain away from Alex, and from the fight. Trying to meet Alex's eyes, she hoped he wouldn't see the panic lying within them.

[Moonlit Dream]

"But my name is Alex!" growled Alex stubbornly, folding his arms. He was about 100% sure now, that this school was absolutely insane. "My parents gave me that name when I was a baby! What more do you want?!" Noting the tone of the teacher's voice warily, Alex stood bolt upright at his words. "'Save what little bit of sanity I possess'?!" he snapped, loosing every fleck of calm that he held now, anger making his blood boil. "What is that supposed to mean, dude?! I'm completely sane! What makes you think otherwise?! " Staring at the teacher as he turned to face the dog, Alex growled as he recognized that mutt. That was the one that Javed kept! Wherever that dog was, that dude would never be far behind... His hair beginning to stand on end at the thought that Javed had been watching them, Alex's gaze flicked around hotly, but he eventually met Chimere's eyes, and wondered why she hadn't moved or spoke despite everything. His own blue eyes searching, he was confused as he found panic lying in Chimere's eyes. Panic? he wondered to himself, half convinced that it was just an illusion. Why is she panicking?

Watching with a rather blank, yet at the same time intensely thoughtful, look on his face as the boy jumped, Keegan inwardly wondered if he were really that scary. "Ah..." he said softly, in response to the boy's statement. "As it is for me..." he murmured, wondering if today was the beginning of a new school year or something. He'd met a lot of students that claimed to be new. "Interesting..." he murmured quietly and almost inaudibly, as though he were discussing some fine scientific discovery. "That aside, my name is Keegan. It is a pleasure to meet you."

[Wormgod]

However, the emotions didn't last inside Barbas. Javed was coming now and stopped controlling his dog. Now Barbas was running on his own emotions. The dog still growled at Lovecraft and lunged for the purple bellows. He could care less about Kurou now; but this man deserved whatever he got. He couldn't force Chimere to do whatever he thought was "right."


Joseph kept one eye on the scene in the nurse's office and one eye on the white-haired boy. The situation was getting worse there; the man was talking to the dog as if it could understand (or really cared) and now the dog was trying to kill some purple-thing. Joseph barely heard what Keegan said, "Keegan?" He asked, glancing back at the boy, "I'm Joseph. Um...Can we go somewhere safer?"

[miraphoenix]

"You, foolish mortal, have chosen to date one of my most famous creations. I am only trying to help you. In time, you will realize this," Lovecraft replied, voice starting to turn from hot rage to cold, calculating anger. "And believe me, your real name is Kurou. This too, you will realize in time." Turning to face Barbas, he simply stepped back from the dog, moving in a diagonal line. "Barbas, this is not your quarrel. I will not hurt anyone here this day, but accidental injuries can be avoided if everyone just calms down. This should be between Cthulhu and I, not anyone else. Please, return to your classes." He was calming down dramatically now, anger replaced by his usual seemingly unflappable state of being.

As Professor Lovecraft calmed down, Chimere found the compulsion to stay where she was growing weaker, and stepped forwards from where she had been standing. Walking first over to Alex, she hugged him tightly, not wanting him to worry. "Alex, just ignore him. I feel like reacting to him will only make him worse," she murmured in his ear.

[Moonlit Dream]

"Most famous creations? What do you mean? You her dad or somethin'?" Alex sounded confused as he spoke, and even more so as Lovecraft stated that he was only trying to help Alex. Going awkwardly silent, he didn't quite know how to respond to that. "...How?" he asked confusedly, a few seconds later. After another small pause, he noticed something else. "Wait... How did you know that we're dating...?" he asked slowly. Looking up as caught movement out of the corner of his eye, he was glad to see that Chimere had moved away from where she had been standing before. Smiling as Chimere hugged him, he hugged her back just as tightly, resting his head on one of her shoulders. "Alright, I'll try... Guess I just, like, kinda lost my cool..." he muttered back, then chose not to respond to Lovecraft telling them to go back to their classes. He didn't want to go back to swimming...

Watching at the happenings with a silent gaze, Keegan's hazel eyes gleamed silvery. He thought that it was strange indeed, but did not show it other than to raise a hand to brush his hair over the gem so that it was covered further, and raise his scarf so that it hid the gleaming necklace of beads that was draped about his neck. "Safer? But of course." Keegan bowed his head in acknowledgement to the other boy. "Where?"

[Wormgod]

Barbas moved between Chimere and Lovecraft. He was running on his own anger now; years of being used and abused by Javed had slowly grated down his will to nothing. No one should ever be forced into something, or abused like he was. He looked up into Lovecraft's eyes, saying all he needed to say without actually...saying.

Joseph just started walking, "Anywhere but here." He said to Keegan.

[miraphoenix]

"I see, Alex, that you don't read much. Perhaps you should study the first assignment for English; the book should already be in your bag," Lovecraft replied, a faint smile on his face. "Read the one that starts on 355. I think you will find it to be...insightful, at best. And the title should sound....familiar. And it was obvious that you and Cthulhu are dating. Chimere, if you please."

At Professor Lovecraft's request, Chimere released Alex from the hug with a kiss on the cheek. "Be safe, Alex," she said, turning away and almost running smack into Barbas. Seeing the dog standing between her and Lovecraft, she knelt beside him, resting a hand on the big dog's head. "Barbas, it's okay. I won't be gone long, and he's not doing anything weird to me. You don't have to be angry anymore, I promise..." she murmured, rubbing his ears and the spot right between his eyes.

[Moonlit Dream]

Alex shrugged stiffly, then looked around. "My school bag is still in the swimming changing room, Sir," he pointed out. "And how did that get in there... I don't remember being given any assignment." He paused in confusion to look around, starting to blush as the teacher said that it was obvious that he and Chimere were dating. "Heeey... How was it obvious?" he asked, face creasing into a small frown. Turning as Chimere released him from the hug, Alex sighed softly, his blush deepening as Chimere kissed him on the cheek although he closed his eyes in bliss. "Wait... Where are you going?!" he asked unhappily as sh spoke to him. "Dude, where are you taking her?"

Watching Joseph start walking, Keegan bowed his head and set off after him. It seemed almost as though Keegan walked in slow motion at first glance, or even if one stuck around to watch. Anyone who tried to match Keegan's movements, however, would find he was moving almost above the average pace for a teenage boy. Turning back at the end of the hallway to check that Joseph was following, Keegan bowed his head wordlessly. He was done speaking for today if the circumstances let him.