Marauder Commons

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"So boring," Briella teased with a light laugh. "Alright, regular way it is then. The library should be the next stop then?"

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

Acadya nodded and dusted her hands off before fixing her skirts.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Are you coming with?" Briella asked Isla, since the other girl had mentioned going, if she remembered correctly.

"Sure," Isla replied, since it only made sense to go together. "But I can't stay for very long. I have a few things to take care of after."

"Wonderful," Briella said brightly and hooked her arm with her friend's before offering the other to her sister. "Then on we go."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

With a funny look, Acadya linked arms with her sister. She remember the many times they'd been scolded for walking through the palace that way.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

--End--

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

((Yes, i do believe. and we can skip the library stuff))

[~Fangirl~]

Terra walked with a new spring in her step. After months of suffering and secrets and pain, everything finally appeared to be settling. True, nothing was set in stone. Terra knew better than most how quickly good things could disappear and happiness could be ripped away. But for the first time in her life she felt she was in a place where someone like her could belong. Not a program pretending to be human, not a human pretending to be a program. She was simply Terra. A muddled, jumbled up mess of genes and species and dna. But she finally was comfortable with that. She had the people who mattered most back in her life and a place to call home. And that was enough for her.

After swiping a snack, Terra settled down on the commons couch, texting Jeremy while waiting for Rowan. Jeremy was still struggling to settle into things and Terra had tried to be as helpful as possible while giving him space to make his own life rather than clinging to hers. While wanting to be a part of his life, she knew there were things he needed to experience on his own.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

((welcome back))

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Rowan strolled up to Terra's common room after signing out of the hospital wing. Since his shoulder injury from a bike accident was all healed, he was very ready to see Terra and have a normal time together like they'd planned. And he thought it would all be well, without any interruptions. He hoped, at least. He smiled upon seeing her at the couch waiting for him, though he'd hoped he would get there first. "Hey," he said, coming up behind her on the couch. He leaned down to give her a kiss, sure he wouldn't startle her unless she was preoccupied.

[~Fangirl~]

Terra glanced up from her phone upon hearing Rowan's greeting and smiled brightly. She leaned up and happily returned his kiss, craning her neck a bit so her lips could meet his. "Hey, stranger." She teased, smirking a bit as she slipped her phone into her pocket. She didn't want to get distracted with texts when she was hanging out with Rowan. "Long time no see. How's your shoulder?" She asked, glancing at the place of injury worriedly. The guilt for not visiting him was practically eating her alive. But between training with his father, helping Jeremy settle, and dealing with classes, there just simply weren't enough hours in the day.

[~Fangirl~]

((thanks! life's been crazy so I'm glad to finally get to return to rps))

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Rowan grinned at her and slipped around the couch to sit next to her instead. "Just fine. I told you it was nothing," he promised. "I just hung out in the hospital wing for a couple hours, and a friend of mine showed up randomly so we went out for food while it healed the rest of the way. Perks of being a vampire." He slipped an arm around her shoulders casually as he had taken to doing, and luckily she was on the side that hadn't been injured, even though there was no pain left.

[~Fangirl~]

“Well I’m glad to hear it.” Terra replied happily, resting her head on his shoulder. Nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck, Terra pressed a gently peck to his cheek. “So, what do you wanna do? We can watch a movie, play a game, just sit and catch up,” Terra suggested, smiling lovingly. “I feel like we haven’t seen each other in ages.”

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Well why don't we start with a movie, since you've already got some snacks, then we can go from there?" Rowan suggested, smiling down at her. It did feel like forever since they'd seen each other, but he had to keep reminding himself that she had responsibilities that he didn't...mostly because of his screwup. "Yeah, it's been a while. But we're here now, and your lessons are important."

[~Fangirl~]

Terra let out a sigh at Rowan’s words. “I know, I know. They’re just... tedious I suppose is the best word. Don’t get me wrong, I know they’re necessary and I’m grateful to your father, but it just feels inconvenient sometimes. Like when it keeps me from seeing you.” She replied, smirking a bit. “But since you just got out of the hospital wing, I’ll let you choose the movie while I get snacks, m’kay?”

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Rowan almost pointed out that the lessons weren't the only thing, but he was still getting time with her now and he wouldn't ruin that. "Yeah, that part sucks," he agreed and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek again. "Sure, I'll choose the movie. Are you in the mood for anything special?"

[~Fangirl~]

Terra shook her head. “Not really. Just.... no horror, okay?” She asked. She hesitated to specify it, Terra hadn’t exactly told Rowan about the nightmares yet. She didn’t want to worry him. It was better if he thought they had ended a long time ago back when they first started dating. Terra got up and made her way to the snack area and made some popcorn and grabbed some candy and sodas before returning to Rowan’s side.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Sure, no problem," Rowan said and started looking through the movies to find one that might entertain them both. He thought nothing of the no horror request because lots of people didn't like them, or she could just not be in the mood. "How about this one?" he asked when she came back, showing her the cover of some action movie.

[~Fangirl~]

Terra smiled and shrugged a bit with a small nod. “Yeah, that one looks good. Pop it in.” She replies while settling in on the couch. While he busied himself with setting it up, Terra checked her phone real fast. Another text from Jeremy. Nothing major, just some more questions. Mostly about how stuff worked. Terra sighed and sent answers to as many as she could before putting her phone away again.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Rowan went and popped the movie in the player and searched for the remote. He didn't use the TV often because the one in his common room kept getting broken. Plus her common room was very different. He noticed as he went back to the couch that she was texting, and there was only one person it could be. It irked him a little, but he figured as a last minute thing it would have to be okay. After all, maybe she was just saying she couldn't talk anymore. So he put on a smile and plopped down on the couch again. "All ready?" He asked, getting set to start the movie.

[~Fangirl~]

Terra smiled over at him and nodded. “All set!” She replied happily, giving one last peck on the cheek before snuggling close to him. As the movie began, she nestled her head into the crook of his neck and watched contentedly. It felt nice to finally stop and simply... be.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Rowan grinned at her before pressing play. Then he settled back and put his arm around her to get comfortable. This was certainly something he had been missing, just them being together. It wasn't the normal off the wall fun they used to have more often, but right now the calm togetherness was enough.

[~Fangirl~]

Terra smiled at the warmth of his embrace. After a moment of pure bliss, an absent minded thought escaped her lips. “When did we become normal? It’s kinda nice.” Terra hardly paid mind to her own murmur.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Rowan glanced down at her and had to smile a little. "I don't know. But I like it," he said and kissed her head before leaning his head against hers. Normal was just so natural. He didn't understand how it happened, but he wasn't going to complain about relaxing.

[~Fangirl~]

Terra chuckled a bit and smiled in contentment at his kissing her head and putting his against it. It felt nice to just be held and be with him without the world coming apart around them. She snuggled closer to him and sighed in contentment. "Me too," She murmured softly.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Rowan smiled an hugged her a little closer before turning to the movie. Snacks were fine and all, but he could have snacks any time. Right now, just holding her as close as he could seemed like the better option. Because for now, everything was alright.

[~Fangirl~]

((what now? I don't wanna ruin your plan))

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

((So now Jeremy can either call needing something or show up, I think. Whichever you'd prefer to do))

[~Fangirl~]

((mkay!))

While Terra was watching the movie, she had turned her phone on do not disturb. She didn't know about all the texts and phone calls that had gone to voice mail. It wasn't till Jeremy came running in from his dorm room that Terra snapped back to Earth. She looked up in confusion and began coughing a bit from the black pillar of smoke coming from a bag in his hand.

"Jeremy, what in the world...?" She began.

"I was trying to make the popcorn stuff you showed me but I couldn't figure it out! There were kernels still unpopped so I kept putting it back it but they wouldn't pop and suddenly the bag was brown from burning and it was smoking!" He exclaimed, eyes wide and panicked. "Then my ceiling started beeping so I hit the circle thing with a broom and everything smells like smoke."

Terra couldn't help but start laughing.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Rowan, on the other hand, was more annoyed than anything. It came from the deep rooted dislike he already had that made him so deeply dislike everything that might remotely not be a bad thing about him. "Just put it in the sink and turn the water on," he said drily, since the popcorn was already making the whole room smell bad.

[~Fangirl~]

Jeremy, too flustered to sense the disdain Rowan exuded at his mere presence, nodded and quickly ran to the sink and turned on the water over the bag. Meanwhile, Terra was still cracking up.

"Why did you keep putting it in if you could smell it burning?" She asked, laughing still.

Jeremy flushed from embarrassment. "I... I thought it was supposed to do that," he murmured sheepishly.

Terra rolled her eyes, smirking still in amusement. "Jeremy, we've gone over this. In this world, if food starts burning, STOP! Unless it's marshmallows for s'mores," She added, smiling.

Jeremy rolled his eyes and left the popcorn back in the sink as he walked back over to the couch and looked at the screen. "What are y'all watching?" He asked curiously.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Rowan reached over for the remote to stop the movie, since he had a feeling they weren't going to get far at all with it at all anymore. And maybe it was mean but Jeremy sticking around to watch with them was the last thing he wanted. "It's just an action movie."

[~Fangirl~]

Jeremy smiled a bit. “I like Action movies, mind if I join?” He asked.

Terra bit the inside of her cheek, not wanting to be rude to Jeremy but also knowing the Rowan wasn’t the biggest fan of his. “Actually,” she started, “Rowan and I were kinda hoping to... well... this was just supposed to be us hanging out... that’s why I turned my phone off,” She explained, desperately hoping Jeremy would get the hint.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Rowan frowned, but was relieved when Terra said for him that they didn't really want Jeremy to join. Lucky, because he would not have been as nice if he'd been the one to explain.

[~Fangirl~]

Jeremy looked confused before a look of realization crossed his face. "Oh! I forgot you two... yeah, sorry. I'll go. I didn't realize y'all were on a date... guess you do dates a little different here than on the grid," He said, laughing nervously. "I'll just uh... I better go clean my room." And with that Jeremy threw out the soggy burned popcorn and hurried back to his dorm.

Terra sighed a bit, laughing a bit awkwardly herself. "Sorry about that He's still getting used to our world," She said a bit awkwardly, hoping Rowan overlooked the date comment.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Rowan relaxed back, or looked like he did because honestly he was still a little stiff and bothered. "Yeah I figured," he said, trying and failing to keep too much annoyance from his voice. "I just wish he didn't have to lean on you so much for that."

[~Fangirl~]

Terra frowned a bit at Rowan’s tone. “He’ll get it soon enough... it’s not like he really has anyone else to go to about this stuff.” She replied softly, putting a hand on Rowan’s chest as she moved in close again. “I know you still don’t like him... but please try to at least not hate him? It wasn’t his fault what happened. I could’ve been capable of the same things if I’d been reprogrammed. Don’t you remember when I attacked you after I got captured the first time? That’s was reprogramming does... it takes away all of your control, everything about yourself, and wipes it blank so you’re just a puppet to Clu and is sick games.”

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Rowan sighed. "I know. I know that whole reprogramming thing wasn't his fault." The issue was that...that wasn't the issue. That wasn't why he disliked Jeremy so much. He could have forgiven him if it was just that. It was all the little things now, and their history that irked him. "What bothers me is that he seems to always be around you. We can't catch a break."

[~Fangirl~]

Terra frowned a bit at Rowan's words. "I know I've been busy helping Jeremy, that's why I turned my phone off. I didn't think the dork would set a fire in his room," she chuckled a bit but noticed that Rowan didn't laugh and quickly stopped. "Don't worry. Soon he'll make his own friends and start having his own life. It's just... a bit adjustment for him. He'll figure it out on his own eventually. And just cause he needs my help doesn't mean anything more than we're friends. Just friends." She assured Rowan.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Yeah except its been more than a month and he still hasn't made any friends because he's clinging to you," Rowan said, finding that he wasn't really able to stop himself from spilling everything that was on his mind now that he's started. "You're coddling him so he never has to try and figure out anything for himself."

[~Fangirl~]

Terra frowned at Rowan's words, moving away. "Coddling him? What, I'm his mother now?" She asked, only barely amused and more annoyed by it. "Look, I'm sorry I haven't been around as much because I'm helping him. And I miss being with you. But he's an old friend, Rowan. I can't exactly shove him in the deep end and ignore him, not caring if he sinks or swims."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Rowan frowned. He knew it was his fault for getting into this, but he wasn't in the mood to drop it. "You can too shove him in the deep end! Sometimes it's the only way to learn how to swim. Yeah make sure he doesn't sink, but mama birds push their babies out of the nest all the time and I think you need to learn how to do that."

[~Fangirl~]

"Again with the mother thing?!" She exclaimed indignantly, standing up and moving away from Rowan. "Seriously? You're seriously mad at me for helping a friend who couldn't even make popcorn cause he doesn't know how a single thing in this world works? Not to mention he's struggling to even REMEMBER the last couple of years! I am not, coddling him, I'm helping someone he needs help and you're seriously going to tell me I can't do that anymore?"

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"You are coddling him! He screwed up a bag of popcorn- the instructions are literally on the bag! But he didn't read them because he trusted your instructions more. He doesn't have to think for himself because you're right there instructing him, helping him along all hours of the day and night because you feel sorry or something!" He stood as well, bothered to the point of wanting to storm off, but he knew that they couldn't abandon the fight at this point. Because she didn't seem to understand what was happening, And he was a little bitter too because she was wasting all that time and wondered why they never had any together.

[~Fangirl~]

"So what if I do?!" Terra shouted, tears welling up in her eyes. "We got caught because of me, Rowan. We were in the games because I screwed up. He got injured and reprogrammed because of me... everything that happened, everything he went through... everything he did. It's all my fault." Terra's voice grew quiet as her throat tightened with tears. Slowly, she sunk to sit on the couch again as the tears flowed faster. "Everyone he killed... it's because of me. I might as well have killed them myself," Her voice cracked as Terra suddenly succumbed and wrapped her arms around herself as sobs wracked her entire body.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"But it's not your fault!" Rowan insisted. His resolve crumbled a little when she started to cry, but he was still going strong...just feeling a little bad about it. "You're helping out of guilt and whatever else you think you owe him, but you also got him out! You've done your part, you fixed his life. There's nothing to be guilty about anymore!"

[~Fangirl~]

Terra looked at him in shock and horror. "Nothing to be guilty about? Have you any idea what kind of torture he went through because of me?! How many of his own friends he was forced to murder because of me?! I will live with this guilt for the rest of my life!" Terra shouted, the tears still streaming down her cheeks. "It's not enough to set him free, Rowan. I have to help him learn to live."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Except you don't! That's not your responsibility!" Rowan insisted. "You don't have to feel guilty for the rest of your life for one mistake. His life now is not your responsibility at all. Let him live his life and you live yours!"

[~Fangirl~]

"And what if this is how I choose to live my life?! What if I want to live my life making up for all the pain I caused?! I thought you of all people would understand that given everything that's happened because of you!" Terra shouted, glaring through her tears at Rowan. The moment she said the words, she regretted them. In her heart, she knew she'd gone too far. But she was too angry at his judgment and selfishness to try and take it back at this moment. "Given everything that's happened, I'm shocked you have the gall to say I'm feeling too guilty for what I've done! You certainly don't try to fix your own! You wallow in self-pity and get upset that I'm actually trying to fix my wrongs rather than spending every waking moment by your side!"

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Rowan visibly flinched when she turned it back on him. It stung, his pride almost as much as his heart. And he would regret it later, but it made him lash out even more. "I should be the best one to know! I destroyed myself because of what I did to you, and it fixed nothing! My sacrificing only made things worse. I got you help and I'm not stifling you by watching over your shoulder to make sure you do everything right. So yeah, I still feel guilty, but I don't let it make me controlling like you do!"