Not The Funnies, Exactly...

[Kahlia Winchester]

She was skipping today. Skipping down the street, in the middle of downtown! Not to mention that she was also cutting class, but if you don't tell, then neither will we - that's the way things work. You see, today Kahlia was off to the comic book shoppe downtown - the latest Beasts of Burden artbook by Noxia was released today. She had pre-ordered and everything, and was jittering like a two-year-old on a caffeine high from the utter excitement. The thought of having the book delivered into her hot hands was very nearly making the seventeen-year-old nervous. And as she approached Gord's Graphic Novels Plus, the line pushing out the door gave her more than enough notice that there were others that had the same idea about cutting last period from high schools across the city. Her skip slowed to a walk, her walk to a saunter, and the last few steps, she dragged her feet as she fell into line behind the girl in front of her. She didn't recognize her. She hadn't even planned on waiting at all!

She must be from a different school. She thought to herself. Duh. Obviously.

Lia rolled her eyes, stuck one hand in the back pocket of her jeans, and toyed with her hair with the other. The laptop bag strapped across her chest carried personal items, her artbooks, pencils, and obviously, her laptop. She left her schoolbooks in her locker, on account of no homework - none that she knew of, anyway. She breathed out, made an annoyed noise with her lips, and crossed her arms. This was taking forever!

It had only been two minutes.

After another minute, Lia undid the buckle for the flap on her bag, and pulled it back. Then she reached for the zipper that would open the chasm in which everything was held. Out of it she pulled a hardbound book, then just as quickly as she opened the bag, it was closed again. Adjusting the strap a little, she then cracked open the book, to reveal drawings and sketches. The pages were bursting with them, and they were much more than stick figures. Occasionally she would glance up at the line, and shuffle forward a few steps, one eye still on the book. She adored her apparent talent, running her fingers lightly over one drawing in particular of a fearsome looking monster with multiple limbs, glowering eyes, and a very hungry looking mouth. Lia smiled at it, and shuffled along with the line.

[Phobia]

The line shuffled along, the impatient slew of people grew louder as their tolerance began to wear thin. As their senseless prattle began to crescendo, however, a gleaming black stretch limo pulled up along the curb. The windows of the popular graphic novel store and surrounding buildings shook with the pure force radiating from the bass speaker tucked into the trunk of the vehicle.

Not bothering to turn down the music, the driver swung open the door and stepped out onto the walkway. He was an older 'gentleman' who looked, now, as though he had just faced the depths of hell; his coat was askew, his hair blasted to one side, and he wore a distressed smile meant only to please the impish character he chauffeured. Pacing to the rear door of the lengthy car, he attempted to open it slowly only to have the overall impact of the noise shove it back.

Esper Donovan emerged from the lap of luxury garbed in a green/black plaid, Lip Service dress. Her hair was also mussed but somehow it fit, her eyes were lined in black, and her feet were slid into matching slippers arranged by her personal designer.

"Miss... AHEM... Miss... there's no need for you to stand in line. I'll have Jacobs bring it by later -" He was cut off not by the throbbing beat of Esper's industrial music but rather by her sudden glance.

"Don't be ridiculous, a little fresh air never hurt anyone! I'll wait in line like everyone else." She tutted and then strolled along the line. Pausing behind a rather interesting looking character holding a sketch book, she leaned over her shoulder and grinned.

"Ooooo! Totally wicked! I bet I could turn - err... hi..."

[Kahlia Winchester]

Hearing a voice practically breathing down her neck and walking right into her ear so suddenly, Kahlia whirled around, slamming her book shut. She'd been so focused on her pictures, that anyone at all talking to her directly would have been unexpected and made her jump just as easily.

"Uhhh... hiiii!" She stretched the greeting out, trying to calm down. She blinked a couple times, her eyes darting up and down the other girl a couple times, before putting a hand up to her chest as she breathed in and out. "Geez, you totally snuck up on me."

Lia brought the hand down and rubbed it up and down the hardcovered front of her sketchbook. A few more breaths, becoming fewer and further between. She laughed, Esper's words suddenly came back to her, and she leaned in a little, hugging the sketchbook to her chest.

"You really think so?" Lia whispered. "I mean... that it's cool? 'Cause most people think they're disgusting and creepy and that I'm a freak by association."

She grimaced at the memories of teases from other students from her school.

[Phobia]

"Disgusting and creepy are cool!" Esper exclaimed, appalled by the fact that anyone might think otherwise. Really, she knew those people. Jocks, preps. The kind of people she would sneak up on in the middle of the night, shifted into Freddy Krueger, and threaten to cut and slice into pieces. Unimportant, obsolete fops who wouldn't know true awesomeness if it slapped them upside the head; which she had been known to do once in a while.

"But yeah, they're pretty rad!" She reinforced, grinning like a feral jester at the girl. They looked to be about the same age; was she just a regular human or a mutant? Esper was aware that there were certain individuals out there that didn't wave her freak flag as much as she did; maybe it wasn't possible, to be as disturbingly awesome as she was. One thing she did know, though; those piercings were totally rad! Rad, rad, rad!

"Sorry about the sneaking... I do that..."

[Kahlia Winchester]

"Awesome!" She beamed, then shook her head, holding her book to her legs, fingers curled over the binding. "It's ok, ok? I just get so absorbed into the details, a wind could sneak up on me and I'd jump."

It was true. Kahlia Winchester tended to get a little too focused on things, and it was yet another thing that made her a target. 'Empress of the Weirdos' was one of many jokely titles the so-called cool kids sarcastically labeled her with amidst their other jabs and high-pitched little laughs. It didn't really matter to her - she'd get them back for all of it. Someday. If only she could...Oh, the line was moving! Kahlia eeped and scuttled up to the person in front of her, lest someone else might butt in-between. When everything was good again, she turned around to see her new acquaintance was still following close behind. Lia was grinning.

"Are you as excited about the new edition as I am...? Oh!" She put her fingers to her mouth, and giggled quietly. "My manners! I totally forgot!"

Lia held out her hand for a shake. "I'm Lia...Kahlia Winchester. Just call me Lia, ok?"

[Phobia]

"Kahlia! Such a beeeaauutiful name! My name is Esper Donovan, a pleasure to meet you Lia, my dear." She stated in a very eccentric manner, continuing to hold the attention of every person in the line. Though, they really didn't matter much to her. All that mattered was the current conversation and her new buddy! Reaching forward, she shook her hand vigorously, causing all the items in Lia's possession to jostle about precariously.

"As for the new addition, heck yes! Totally worth making the trip in person." She confessed, grinning from ear to ear. The only thing that could possibly make this day better was if Gabriel-darling was here to torment. Mind you, everyone in a three mile radius might be running; oh well!

"I've about had it pre-ordered since it was announced! You come here often? I'm surprised I haven't seen you around..." The line shuffled forward more, they were getting close to the doorway. After picking up her copy, she fully intended on diving into the Villains display they had set up on account of Halloween.

[Kahlia Winchester]

Esper shook HARD. Violently, even. It probably had something to do with the excitement, because Kahlia was not giving it any mind. Instead, she shook back just as fervently, and when it was over with, shook her hand out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The other arm was hanging by her side, holding the sketchbook around its spine.

That's funny, I haven't seen her around either.

"Yeah, often enough. I don't know how we haven't ever like... run into each other, you know?" Lia shrugged. "No matter. Now's as good a time as any."

She chewed at her lower lip, and looked off like she was thinking about something. Then her eyes darted back to her new friend. She gave Esper this look like she was about to divulge some great, big, juicy secret and held out her sketchbook.

"You wanna take a look?" She squinted a little, an almost devious smile creeping across her face.

[Phobia]

Esper brandished a devious smile of her own, flashing briefly the black chasm of her mouth before sharpened teeth snapped over it. School had been keeping her away from the stores for the most part, a valid excuse as to why she had not seen her new found pal yet. Shifting a hand over the front of the sketch book, she gently pried it open with a girly giggle.

"Lemme seeeeeee!" She begged loudly, sticking her tongue out at a young man who turned around to see what was going on. Seen only by him was the forked end of the sleek muscle, brought about by his fear of snakes. Common rabble. He jerked away, keeping his eyes glued to the front. The line shuffled forward.

Ooh's and Aah's escaped her lips as she witnessed the splendor of her artwork. It was macabre, brimmed with a darkness that made her very soul resonate with adoration! Yeah, it was pretty sick.

"This is... AWESOME!" She squealed, bouncing excitedly and nearly bowling over the people in front of her.

If she could get her new buddy to draw some truly terrifying things, she could show them off to the young'ns and scare them to pieces; adding a slew of nightmarish creatures to her repertouire of transformation.

[Kahlia Winchester]

Even Kahlia winced at the squeal. It was hard not to when the person from whence it came was right in front of you but at the same time, the excitement Esper had over Lia's creations gave the girl a feeling of satisfaction, a happy smile on her face. They almost didn't notice that the line was moving again; they were almost through the door! On impulse, Lia grabbed her newfound acquaintance hard by the forearm and practically dragged her forward a few feet.

"Come on! I don't want to deal with any rude little butt'er-heads." She exclaimed, rushing to catch up with the line, towing Esper along. When they re-linked with the chain, Lia let go.

"Sooooo... what school do ya go to? Or..." She peeked around Espy to look at the man that'd been trailing her, and lowered her voice. "...do you have a tutor?"

[Phobia]

Esper barely noticed the violent tugging at her arm, urging her forward to catch up with the line that had left them behind. Rather, her brilliant violet gaze was transfixed upon the art, her fingers delicately flicking over another page. Clumsily, she smacked into the door frame as they pushed into the store a few spaces from the actually register where the new release was being handed out.

"A tutor..?" Momentarily, she tore her intense gaze away from the pages and cast it back toward the man waiting outside the door. She smiled slightly at his impatient stance and then tossed a glance toward the scruffy looking character behind the register.

"That's my butler, Charles. Nice enough fellow, but he is stuffy at times." She explained, leaning back on her heels. "As for school, I'm at a ... private academy. I'm living there now."

[Kahlia Winchester]

Butler?

The word gave her pause as she looked at the frazzled-looking older man, then at Esper again, giving them both a quick once-over, then hmming and nodding, then propping one arm up at the elbow with the hand of the other, and posing a finger in-between her teeth a moment. Then she looked at Esper again, and dropped the hand from her mouth, letting it hang at the wrist, dainty-like.

"Private academy, huh?" She whispered. Then she laughed a little. "Oh, why am I whispering? Do you like it there? My school's... alright, but if I had a choice, I'd go somewhere else, with fewer drama queens and more... somewhere not so normal."

They were now third and forth in line for the artbook, and noticing that proximity had Kahlia brimming with excitement at the thought of the new tome hot in her hands. She unconsciously rubbed her hands together with that thought.