Alyx had been watching the exchange silently, then turned to a new page in his sketchbook and ennuncieated clearly, "Name: Rapheal Evora, Age: 19. Sign: Scorpio. Place of residence: Across from me, in apartment 667." He looked up and said sarcastically. "Before you ask, I know because I'm extremly nosy." Alyx held up a drawn head shot of the boy in question, a faint smile upon his face. "Hieght: Six feet, one inch. Hair: Blonde." He yawned slightly, flicking his dyed hair out of his face. He stood slowly, stretching his long frame, towering above the other students, most older than him.

Walking, well, actually, his way of moving was more like slinking, to the chalkboard, he wrote alll twelve star signs in a different color for each. Alyx's handwriting was alternating spiky and smooth, and he tended to switch every three or four letters. He circled "Scorpio" in bright white chalk, sweeping his hair back with one hand. A large grin now resided on his face, and there was a crazy gleam in his eye. "We should check his apartment, hmm?" he laughed slightly, then turned toweards the door, humming tunelessly.

He was in a nut house. This was all just a enormous hallucination brought on by all of the emotional trauma he had gone through all of his life. Neil wondered absently why he thought he needed to punish himself like this. His only other thought on the matter was that his nurse needed to up the dosage. Neil wasn't going to think about how utterly stupid everyone was.

It was really too much to worry about, he was going to die in... about a week anyway. That was how much time they had, right? No use stressing over it. Just accept it. 'And don't hate them for it, either.' Neil grimly accepted he wasn't ever going to get to read "War and Peace", and shoved his pencil behind his ear.

Soundlessly he turned to watch the red-head tell them who was missing. Though, even then, how could they know for sure? Everyone but him got a magic list, it seemed. 'No, don't start that again. It doesn't matter remember? You should be thinking about your will, whether you want to be cremated or not, and you're out of paper towels. Write a list.'

Neil decided he didn't very much like the red-head, Alyx, or whatever, either. For once he'd like to meet an "artist" that wasn't an eccentric mess. It's like they try hard on purpose to be "different". Was he humming? Disgusting. Neil was adding him to his list. Though it was evident by his frown that he didn't want to be on this expedition, Neil slowly followed the other students. He pointedly gave Alyx and Kiri a wide birth.

Kiri felt a bittersweet mix churning in her heart. She was upset. She was happy. She had to be happy. If not, what would happen? 'If you don't smile, you're not attractive or appealing in any way whatsoever. Thats what people look for in a girl.' She had to keep smiling, or be doomed to a life of lonliness. Her lips curled sullenly, but at least it was a smile. Be accepted. Don't... be hated. But I guess that's inevitable. She sighed. Then she smiled. And laughed lightly. Don't you dare think "Why me".One person hates you already... I guess. You guess. Am I talking to myself? My sister talks to herself. My mom does it too. Does that go through genetics?  But I'm not related to my sister. Well, I am, but I don't have her blood in me. So my mom is the source, right? Unless... My dad isn't my dad! Maybe my mom cheated a little and thats where I get it from! Ha! I win! Her eyes sparkled. Kiri was regaining herself through a little thought. She took a deep breath happily. "Okay, we can do this. What number? 334?" She smiled and looked around at the others. Her aura had shifted from dark and scared to bright and happy. It made her forget any shyness.

((You see that little cat in my siggy? That's Ziggy. Oh yes, it is. ;D))

((I want to hug you.))

Kiri paused, and if she had cat ears, one would've flicked back to the room. She stepped backwards and peeked in, seeing Jethro all alone. "Um... Person? Are you coming?" She smiled. "We're going to room 334 or something. Come on, it'll be fun~" She smiled happily and blinked. I hope it'll be fun. And then- I like being in the back anyway.

Alyx's smile vanished as he rounded on Kiri. "Six...six....se-van." He said slowly, as if speaking to a small child. "You shoudl learn to listen Kiri." He said lloking down through half-lidded eyes. "His name is Jethro." He said in pas.sing, shaking his dyed hair into his face, shading his eyes a a thick, angry frown resided on his face. Taking a deep breath, he barreled out the door seeming to glide over the ground towards a large, rather fancy apartment building just off campus.

He took a key attached to along string with a blown glas.s bulb on the end, inserting it into a keyhole next to the large glas.s doors. A doorman ushered the group in, nodding at the red haired art student as he brushed past and to an elevator, where he pressed the button repeatedly, as if it would make the elevator come faster.

[[If Neil could read minds, he might be offended. But he likes buff guys too. So he'd probably just be angry at her for staring at boys during a time of crisis.]]

Neil had followed them, almost in a daze. It was pretty easy to put your motor functions on autopilot and just think "follow those freaks". He was following them and writing his grocery list. Hell, if they were not gonna take this seriously, he was going to write his grocery list. It would keep him from shaking them violently in anger. "It'll be fun?" He repeated, mostly to himself as he arched a brow at the ceiling. He gritted his teeth, and wrote down "aspirin" on his list.

The killer was scratching his or her head. If he was the killer he would be very angry with how everyone was acting. He would not appreciate someone joking about the people he'd murdered. It would be hard for him to kill someone, and if he did, would expect it to be appreciated for what it was. Something awful and sad that shouldn't be joked about.

As they pa.ssed the doorman Neil nodded and gave him a small thanks. For a moment, he hung behind, and then dreadfully followed them. He stood outside the elevator, and remained standing even as it arrived and the doors slid open. His eyes swiveled to the stairs, and back to the elevator. He did not want to be in a box with those lunatics.

But he didn't want to take the stairs either. Finally he stepped into the elevator. It was like his feet had turned into cinder-blocks in the short amount of time standing outside the elevator, and it was a tad difficult. He situated himself against the elevator wall, right next to the door.

'What did she just say? No, NO, WHAT did she JUST SAY?' Oh god he was going to go home and fashion a noose. He was going to set it up in the closet, the only one that had that strong wooden beam, and he would- he would- This wasn't real. Maybe killing himself in this exaggerated hallucination would wake him up. Without saying anything he slumped backward and banged his head against the elevator wall.

This was followed by a low, almost painfully sad sigh as he closed his eyes and rubbed his temple. Maybe he should call his uncle... and, and maybe Delilah would like to hear from him... Maybe he would even call his Mother. But she wouldn't like that. She wouldn't like that at all.

[[Kiri decided they should run around campus looking for the missing student. Neil said that was a stupid plan. Kiri ignored him. Then Alyx said "hey the missing guy lives across from me" all creepy like and then they went to go find him.  Jethro is just like "what I don't even-". Neil continues to think the plan is stupid. Currently they are all at the apartment inside or outside the elevator leading to Alyx's floor. Yep. I think that is about it.]]

Kiri swished around to see Neil slumped on the wall. "A-" Kiri bit off the instinctive "Are you okay?" and withdrew the outstretched hand. No. Treat others as you want to be treated. He doesn't deserve it. She shook it off and turned back to the door. She wasn't proud, not at all, but she was happy she didn't help him. Karma needed to kick in, and he didn't have much good of it. He could be the killer, easy. This is when all your strategy kicks in, remember? Okay. So. So far, we know that the star tiles are made of pewter. There is a symbol below the dead body, which is always hanging in a noose, although none of them were strangled. Somehow, the killer is always leaving no tracks, just the Pewter Star footprints. No actual footprints, however. Hm. Ziggy mewled in her arms, wanting to be set down. She would be, once Kiri got the hell out of this akward box.

((Pretty much sums it up. xD Kiri has pulled Alyx, and not yet letten go because she forgot. Neil and Kiri hate each other more every second. I can't tell if Neil hates Cori yet hehe.))

[[Why would Neil hate Cori? xD He's spoken one sentence to her and she is the only-level headed person around... And Neil doesn't hate Kiri, he doesn't like the word, and thinks hate is too strong an emotion. He just thinks she's an idiot, and every thing she does makes him want to kill himself. But not hate.]]

''A'? What, 'Am I alright?' Is that what you were going to say? My Mother hates me. My friends all live far away. People are dying. I am stuck with people who look at the world from some bizarre prospective that makes people dying okay. The only thing I want more than anything is to die, and for some reason, that is okay too. I'm just peachy. Thanks for asking, you bimbo headed girl.' He watched her turn away, pulling back her hand. Which made him angry, and ridiculously sad at the same time.

'I didn't need your pity anyway.' She was probably one of those girls that grew up with some "difficulty", and that made it okay for her to be a moron. She could be upset and stubborn and mean, but if anyone else did they were awful, evil, and deserved to suffer. Fine. He couldn't see how he was surprised by this, that was how it always was. And always would be.

Truly, how could he argue with that logic. Life is not perfect. Everyone has problems. Every person has had something happen to them that wasn't nice, something that hurts them every day of their lives. Why can't he be a moron? If he acted like fool, it wouldn't be okay. Why?

'I've probably gone through worse. Why can't I just be stupid like everyone else? Why do I feel the need to act so normal all the time? I bet she doesn't have scars. I bet she doesn't know what it feels like to have your mother hate you. I bet her Mother never tried to drown her in a tub. 'Oh woe is me, I say stupid things and that makes people not like me!' Grow up.'

Neil closed his eyes again, and inwardly chastised himself for whining. It didn't matter. Nothing did. Tonight he would call everyone he cared about it, and everything would be okay again. He didn't matter to these people, why should they matter to him? He would just gather all of his books on astrology and donate them to the group, wish them luck, and go wait to die.

Alyx looked down and peeled Kirir's fingers from him, holding it at arm's length as he stepped into the elevator, then thought better of it, and stepped back up. "We sould go in two groups, umless someone wants to go up six flights of stairs.." He trailed off, holding a long arm out, gesturing to the mirrored box. "Kirir, remember, press the button with the little '6' on it." Alyx said sarcastically, turning to the rest of them. "six people can fi at a time." He said dismissivly, leaning against the wall. Looking at Neil having what seemed to be a small panic attack he snapped his long fingers in front of Neil's face, saying " Are you going to pas.s out, Newt?"

Alyxander leaned back against the wall not waiting for an answer. His thoughts rolled thrpough his head, through the feilds of color in his mind. The way he saw his mind there were three areas. There was a bright white, intese happiness and joy, there was deep navy, sadness and anger. And somewhere in the middle, there was a thin grey line which is what most people called "Normal". Al was currently hovering just above grey, his eyes glittering feverishly.

Kiri wanted to sing. She wanted to belt out the song of the Common Loon, to let her voice trail along the tendrils of night that were just begining to show. She wanted a long, slow, sad song. Those were her favorites. For the moment, she forgave everyone. Everything. Her heart sung with her mind. It beat out the notes, the beats, the music. Her lips stayed sealed. They moved slightly to the music, no sound coming out. Foot swayed. She inhaled, exhaled. Everythign was good. She was calm. Nothing was her enemy. She was... neutral.

 She held Ziggy closer. All she felt was love. It was a great feeling. She wasn't even ticked off that Alyx had made a little punch at her dignity. Oh well. The doors slid open slowly, and Kiri walked slowly to the door with the label "667". Turning back to the group, she said, "Well, we're here. Um... Do I have to be the one to open the door?" She was a little nervous. It was unlocked and hanging a bit open, not shut all the way like it should be at this time of night. 

Stealth and wonder

like a nightmare

 A note lay in the door. As a hand turned the knob, as the door creaked open, a note slid from the room. It was manilla, like a study card that so many in this school used. But it had no normal study material on it. It had a message. And a label.

Clue #1.

((Okay, you scaredy cats, one of you pick up the note and another or the same open the door xD I'll describe the scene once you open it.))

'And don't tell Delilah, you know how she gets.' Neil opened his eyes to stare blankly at Alyx, responding immediately to "Newt", though, he wasn't aware that was what Alyx had called him. "No." he said, simply. He hugged himself a bit tighter and stared up at the glowing floor numbers. Not in here, anyway. If he got faint he'd just have to pinch himself. Going comatose around strangers? That was about as smart as pa.ssing out around his friends. 3... 4.... But the state of the murder scene they may or not find- well, he might not be able to help himself. It wasn't so much the blood (that may or may not be there), but the fact that someone could be dead that made his stomach churn. Neil didn't like it when people died. He didn't like it when anything died.

'Wait, what did he say?' What? 'Does anyone here know your name?' Well, I may have said it--? No, I don't think I have. 'Newt. No one here knows you as that.' Maybe... well, he didn't say Newt. I'm just hearing it different, because I'm thinking about Delilah. 'He shouldn't know Neil either. Seems like he knows a lot of people. A little like Kendel, huh?' Oh god. He hoped Alyx was not the kind of stalker like person who climbed a three story building to break into your house. He didn't need more than one. 

Neil eyed Alyx warily as he stepped off the elevator and followed them to the room. He stared, silently at Kiri. He wasn't going to make a girl open the door. It would just be added weight to her already dysfunctional existence. He uncrossed his arms, put his notebook in his bag, and moved to open the door. After a moments hesitation, he pulled the hem of his sweater over his hand before he touched the handle. Neil didn't want to go and contaminate the crime scene with fingerprints. Slowly, he pushed open the door, tense and hoping that whatever they were going to find wouldn't make him throw up.

The limp body of the victim lay dead, unmoving. A final drop of blood fell from the wrists, adding to the small pool on the floor. Both wrists slit, elegantly, smoothly. A pewter star glinted red, the rest trailing behind it eerily up to the feet of Neil, like cosmic footsteps that left no prints. A noose, attached to the ceiling beam, held up the victim. Below was a symbol exactly like the others at the previous murder scenes. For once, Raphael looked calm. Peaceful. The note begged to be read, tapping up against Neils shoes, innocent. Or... so it seemed.

Kiri's eyes widened. She was in shock, terrified. Thank you Neil. Oh my god, thank you for opening that door. Her hands froze at her sides. Ziggy slept, oblivious to the morbid scene before them. Kiri didn't bother to close her mouth.