sashaxbellx

[sashaxbellx]

Sasha walked across campus with her bag stuffed full of books. She was in search of a new place to study after a couple afternoons at a coffee shop had made her more distracted than she wanted to be. After the too-quiet library, she'd thought she wanted the hum of activity around her, but that was a little too much. She started to think somewhere outdoors might be the happy medium she was looking for.

She saw someone near the fountain as she walked and made her way over just as he threw a coin into the water. "Sorry if I scared you, I've been told I'm pretty quiet." she said quickly. Sasha nodded to the fountain, "Did you make a wish?" she asked, stepping closer to the edge and looking into the water. "You'd think there would be a lot more wish-making on this island." she mused, when there were fewer coins inside than she expected. Then she turned to look at him and noticed the pouch. She looked at him quizzically, "Are you collecting coins?"

Xavier counted his coins, dropping the metal objects one by one into a small pouch. He still looked a bit stunned, as well as he should have. 10 bucks were a fabulous amount of money to find scattered on the ground. He made out nearly 5 different currencies, all scattered around from where people once lived and – he suspected – escaped. Maybe the recent change in administration was finally enough reason for them to leave. It was most surprising, however, that just as Xavier started to feel more like himself, the world around him became unfamiliar. He had not yet bothered to check if any of his friends stayed.

Pensively, Xavier threw one of his coins into the water. A superstitious person would take this opportunity to make a wish but nothing came to mind. Yet when he turned around, he discovered that he was no longer alone. His eyes gazed upwards briefly as if to check whether someone was perhaps up there who listened, even when nothing was said.

“Sorry”, Xavier then turned towards the other person. “I barely heard you”

[sashaxbellx]

Sasha quickly shook her head furiously, "No! It's not like that Sir!" she tried to assure him, but knew that this made her look bad and that he had every right to be upset by what she'd done. She bit her lip, "I just, I saw your classroom and remembered you were -" she stammered, she wouldn't call him nice exactly with how intimidating he was, but he didn't seem as scary as the Master she was hiding from. "um, not as scary." she admitted, her face turning red.

Her eyes lifted to look at him when he mentioned her job. "I didn't choose that place for my job." she said, her voice small. "The previous owner made me, and I can't leave." Sasha didn't say that to be argumentative, she just didn't want him to think she was even more stupid and went looking for a job at a place like Vitale's. She hung her head and nodded, "I know, Sir...I just saw him and reacted, I know he can still get to me." She was very aware of how little control she had over anything that happened to her on the island. Sasha swallowed nervously, her ears burning red to match her face now. Her head snapped up at his words and she looked at him fearfully, "Please don't! I promise I won't bother you anymore, I'll stay out of your classroom, I'll do what you want to show you I'm sorry, Sir."

“Oh, that’s fucking alright then” The professor made an elaborate gesture with his hand as if to dismiss her, but the irony in his voice was telltale. Yet the upset was not completely fake. Strix had gotten to know Sasha as a good girl. She was a little naïve perhaps, but ultimately innocent. To find her in his classroom like this rang all kinds of alarm bells, many of which he was unable to voice accordingly. Thus, he focussed on the one he could. “The sneaking around and hiding is a case for the therapist, maybe the guards, but not worth explaining to the old man you were taking advantage of? That what you’re saying?”

“A-ha!” It took some time but when the slave finally came out with more meaningful details, Strix lifted his finger at her, smiling even momentarily, then returning to its original stance. “That must be the most stupid thing I’ve heard all week” – and there was frankly no shortage of nonsense at this school. “And you chose my classroom to hide!?” Further additions to the story caused Strix to shake his head. What at least resembled a touch of humour turned into clear disapproval. “Good God, girl. When I suggested you start singing around here, this barbarous fighting club was not what I had in mind. I’m surprised you lasted this fucking long unharmed”, he started. “And you are an even bigger idiot to believe you can simply wait him out. For all you know, this bloke could have already rented you. You lot really are something else…” A deep frown threatened to cross his lips but he spoke again before it could fully manifest. “I should really send you straight to him to speed things up. Before I become witness to far more ridiculous ideas!”

[sashaxbellx]

Sasha tried to steady her breathing so she wouldn't be heard. Even if she could manage to do so, she was sure that the professor could hear her pounding heart from across the room. She shifted inside the small closet, squeezing her eyes shut and yelling at herself internally for being so stupid. Why did she think hiding in here was a good idea? The Master she was avoiding probably wouldn't find her, but someone else would, and the professor might be upset she was in his closet.

She waited what felt like forever, praying that the professor would leave at some point to eat or use the bathroom or something, but he never did. When he finally spoke, Sasha gasped and jumped inside the closet. He knew she was there, it was pointless to stay hidden at this point. With her face burning red she opened the door and stepped out, hanging her head in embarrassment. She clasped her hands anxiously in front of her. "I'm really sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to disturb you, and I didn't touch anything in your closet I promise." When he stood up she shrank into herself even more but didn't run away like the panicking voice in her head urged her to do. "I'm sorry, I - there was a Master." she admitted, her voice growing small. "He's...scary, and I thought he saw me." she was embarrassed to be telling him this, but she felt like she had to explain. "He hangs around Vitale's a lot and he...keeps saying what he's going to do with me when he gets the chance, because he can't do anything at the club." She fidgeted with her hands and looked up at him. "I'm really sorry Sir, I can make up for it if you want!"

The subtle movement of the wardrobe and the sounds of a quick breath in the otherwise silent classroom were enough to arouse suspicion. Strix did not need a supernatural gift to know when someone was hiding in his classroom. Even humans seemed to have been given a sixth sense for knowing when something is up. Unfortunately, not all chose to listen to it. Slowly, with a sense of inevitability, the professor closed the door behind him and took place at his desk. The entire room was now visible to him, a silent escape impossible. He suspected that the slave knew this too and was still surprised by how long it took for her to come out. Was she hoping perhaps that he was too self-absorbed to notice? That he would leave after a while and hopefully in time for her to return to her cell unharmed? Strix had half a mind to indeed do so and lock the door behind him, leaving her trapped until the next day but, even if only after an hour’s wait, found pity in the girl.  

“You must speak up if you are eager to join my class”, the professor barked out abruptly and closed the book he had been reading until then. And when the figure finally emerged, he was surprised to see who stood in front of him. Sasha did not strike him as a troublemaker. “Or did you come to clean again?”, he mocked as he rose to his feet. His height was often enough to grant him an impression of authority, even when he was quiet. “Somehow, I believe that you are here for neither…”  

@sashaxbellx

[sashaxbellx]

Sasha gave a small sheepish shrug at his comment. She thought she was pretty good, and she got a lot of compliments at the club where she sang, but she was never one to boast about herself. "I like jazz and gospel the most to sing, but probably alternative or indie to listen to." she explained. "I think Alison Krauss and Nina Simone have amazing voices, but I don't think I'll wind up anywhere near them. Not that I'm aiming at fame, I'd probably be terrible at handling it, I just really love music." she realized she had rambled so she stopped. Sasha busied herself wiping down the desks in the classroom, and nodded while she listened to him explain. The difference made sense, she had heard of both topics before but never had the chance to take a class in either of them. She wondered if she would have room in her schedule at some point to explore with some classes outside of her majors. Something like sociology that was totally different could be interesting. Sasha finished with the desks and nodded towards his at the front of the room. "Do you want me to clean your desk as well, Sir? Or just the student ones?" she offered.

“Then no doubt you are a skilled singer” If his character confused or even startled the girl, his demeanour showed no acknowledgement thereof. Yet it was difficult to believe that the professor, whose studies included major aspects of the human nature, was not at least somewhat aware of the effect that he had on others. “What kind of music interests you? Any great names?” His eyes remained mostly fixed on his papers, almost as if the conversation was so simple that he did not need to dedicate more of his senses to it. Yet paradoxically –Strix did not expend her to understand this – this was a form of gratitude. Restricted in more than one way, conversing with the girl was a way of showing his appreciation, even if it only meant to make her more comfortable in his presence. Quite unexpectedly, however, her line of questioning made him perk up. A curious student was something only few scholars could resist. “It is more similar to anthropology than it is not”, Strix responded after his brief pause. “Anthropology relates to the beliefs, culture and small-scale interactions of people. Sociology is wider, more grand, encompassing larger systems like politics, economics, concepts of power and ideology” Now, his eyes were studying her, as if to uncover her motivations for asking. “Naturally, there is overlap”

[sashaxbellx]

[posted to Dragon's Den 12.23]

"Happy Holidays everybody! 🎄❄️❤️"

[sashaxbellx]

Sasha kept working, dutifully sweeping the classroom floor before moving on to a wet mop. When he suddenly spoke she actually jumped a little since the room had been so quiet before then. "I study vocal performance and music theory, Sir. I'm a double major." she explained. "Did you major in sociology in school, or did you discover your interest later?" she asked curiously. She finished mopping and carefully returned the materials to the closet. Sasha pulled out spray and some towels and started to clean off the desks in the room. "What exactly is sociology? Is it similar to anthropology?" She hoped that asking questions related to his expertise wouldn't annoy him, she would rather there be some sound in the room instead of the awkward silence of before.

Strix could not fault the girl’s manners and determination. Only her face gave her away and he appreciated that it took many years of practice to deceive someone completely. If the other slaves were as dutiful as she, the Institute would live up its promise – and be incredibly dull. The professor took a seat at his desk and began to make notes for the upcoming class. To be a teacher was his calling and purpose in life. Yet this was the first time he would do so in such a straight-forward manner. If not the students, the new headmistress would certainly have expectations. “What do you study, girl?”, the professor asked her seemingly out of nowhere, his eyes barely lifting to look at her. Even he wasn’t sure how much time had passed in silence.  

[sashaxbellx]

Sasha watched him search through the snacks and chewed on her Twizzlers, and not for the first time tonight thought he looked very handsome in the glowing light of the lobby. When he pointed out the other things the theater had to worry about, she shook her head and blushed. "Yeah of course, the building repairs are probably going to overshadow the cost of snacks." she agreed. Sasha looked around at the destruction of the building already. "Do you think it will? Do you think we're safe in here?" she asked, now wondering if they'd picked a building that was going to collapse on them. "I don't know where else would be safe though..." She reached up and grabbed a few pieces of popcorn from the bag in his hands. "What's the last movie you saw here?"

Elliot had been here a few years now and had some tactics he knew to use to dampen his pheromones a bit, but most of the time he was still bound, so it was harder. Then again, having Sasha close around him wasn't a bad thing. It was weird. He found lots of pre-made popcorn in bags and opened one, immediately grabbing a snack. And nachos! He was in heaven. "I agree," he said. "Homemade ones are even better." That would be cool, to go back home to Virginia for awhile, maybe getting to even show Sasha what home was like. Those were thoughts for later, though, as right now was a bit more important to focus on. "I think a missing pack of Twizzlers is the least of their concerns," he said, looking up at the holes in the ceiling. "Besides, I'm in here all the time, I can always pay them back... I hope it stays standing."

[sashaxbellx]

"What better place than college to experiment, right? And around here you could probably find some way to do it with magic if you're worried about your hair." Sasha pointed out with a smile. She had a feeling the other girl would look great no matter her hair color. "I've never dyed my hair so I'm not sure, but I think a bright color like that probably has to be kept up more to keep it bright? Someone with experience might be better to ask." she admitted with a small laugh. Sasha considered for a moment, but she loved cotton candy and it looked like fun, so she took a piece and popped it into her mouth. She giggled as it turned her hair a bright aquamarine color.

"You think so? Thanks" she said smiling back "I had never thought about it but now that i have seen it, I really like it" Back home she probably wouldn't even be able to do it. well, she would be but she knew her parents and circle would more than likely not like it, but she wasn't home and wasn't intending on visiting soon. "Do you know how long it stays if I were to dye it and all that?" she nodded "Yes, something fun was needed and I also started to like it very much" she offered some of the cotton candy "Do you want some?"

[sashaxbellx]

[sashaxbellx]

Sasha watched the girl's hair turn color and her eyes widened. As she walked closer, she saw her hair change again to a more pinkish hue. "That looks really good on you!" she offered with a smile. "I would never have the guts to actually dye my hair a bright color like that. It's kind of nice you get to see without the commitment." she laughed lightly. "This is fun, it's nice to have something lighthearted to do after everything lately. And I love Halloween." she admitted.

Everything looked so fun and amazing, from the decorations, the things to do, the food and she really liked the costumes some were wearing, really out of all the festivities she came to know since being here Halloween was probably the one she enjoyed most, and really everything going on really make all the bad things that went down lately , just go away. She was happily eating some cotton candy, seeing how she'd look with diffrent colored hair, right now she had some shade of magenta and she kinda liked it honestly. She noticed someone close by "Are you having fun?"

[sashaxbellx]

Sasha internally deflated a little when he said he needed more from her. She had been hoping he would send her on her way now. "Of course, Master." she offered quickly, glancing around the classroom as she walked inside. It wasn't as dirty as he made it sound, but she would still do her best to keep him happy and help him clean it up.

She walked to the small closet that was in the back of most classrooms and pulled out a broom and dustpan. Sasha glanced up at him and then back down at the broom as she started to sweep. She hoped he would just focus on his work and leave her to clean up. She was good at this kind of helping, working like this instead of trying to be sexy or perform for someone. But she wasn't going to try and small talk with him, he definitely didn't seem like the type for it.

Strix could not deny that he took some enjoyment from pushing other people’s buttons. This wasn’t the main reason why he did it but part of him feared that one day, it would be. Fort his reason, it would have been best to send the slave away. But dark thoughts could consume a man just as much as poor habits.

“Yes. It’s fucking dirty in here” – an exaggeration. It was duty, a bit messy, perhaps, but far from the state of chaos that he made it out to be. “Can you sweep up and wipe the tables, organize the shelves and such? I need to unbox these and prepare class for tomorrow”

[sashaxbellx]

Sasha had never cared much about how strong Eliot was, she'd liked him for a bunch of other reasons. But she had to admit, seeing him lift heavy debris out of the way like it was nothing was impressive. It didn't hurt that the neon inside the theater made it look like he was glowing. She blinked and looked at him confused when he stepped away from her. "Oh, um, right. Yeah, that makes sense." she agreed, but she didn't want to be farther away from him.

She smiled when he made his discovery and she looked around behind the counter. "I like hot dogs! There's something nostalgic about having a hot dog, and they're like the perfect food for a baseball game or something outside in summer." Sasha rambled a little, maybe it was nerves about what was happening or maybe she just felt more flustered than usual. "I found some Twizzlers, I love these." She pulled open a package then bit her lip, looking back at Elliot. "Do you think we should leave some money or something after eating food from here without paying for it?"

That was weirdly helpful - Elliot missed out on a lot in his time at school, and it was slightly comforting to know it was just an oversight by the school and not Gio keeping him in his ivory tower to the point where he missed the important stuff.

Well, he probably did, but at least not relative to this situation.

Elliot had a brief stare at his own hands, surprised at his own power. He forgot how strong the Raws family line was when he was here, since he was bound 95% of the time. He gave Sasha a little grin, pleased with himself that he could impress her in a way. He flexed his fingers a bit. "I feel like... normal? Which isn't always a good thing, but if I can do that, then--" He slid a bit further away. "My pheromones might be kinda bad, so I'm sorry in advance." But Elliot had been here enough times that he could probably operate a popcorn machine - how hard could it be? "There's hot dogs back here!"

[sashaxbellx]

Halloween 2023

Sasha Bell as Mia Thermopolis

[sashaxbellx]

Sasha was growing eager to get away from this man. She could understand that the first day on the island was stressful, and having to rely on the help of others might not be what he had in mind. But she still thought he could be nicer to the people trying to help him. She thought for sure he would yell at her if she just walked into his classroom without permission, but instead he yelled at her for standing outside of it.

"Do you need anything else, Sir?" she asked from the doorway. If he didn't need more help, Sasha was ready to be far away from this man.

A look of perplexity overcame the man’s face as the girl shied away from him. It remained there unchanged for several moments. “My, my, I think I am having a déjà vu” Except this time, the other students had already left and the girl was not crying – yet. Strix expected her to run away too and was surprised that she did not. Nor did she stammer when she accepted his command. At least there was potential…

Strix too remained uncharacteristically quiet on the way to the classroom. He felt his arms burning and most of his mental energy was spent to ensure he did not give in to the desire to let go. He didn’t have to work too hard this time to keep his expression stern. Eventually, the boxes came down on his desk with a loud thump. Only then was he able to look back at the young slave. “What now, have you mislaid your tongue?” The room was smaller than he had expected, though he had to realize that the number of students participating in his course wasn’t confirmed yet either. Likely, they wouldn’t be any time soon if what he heard about the previous weeks was true. Maybe his class would be equally small… “Come in or get out. Don’t just stand there in the doorway, girl. You look like an idiot”  

[sashaxbellx]

Sasha squeezed his hand tighter and shrugged nervously. "I don't think we've ever done any drills here, now that I think about it. We probably should have though." She remembered all the fire and tornado drills they did in school growing up. She was glad that Elliot seemed to have an idea and followed where he led her into the theater. Just being with him made her feel safer, even if this didn't end up being a good hiding place. The smell of popcorn hit her as she squinted in the dim glow of the lobby remains. "I don't think so-" she started to answer, then her lips parted in surprise as she watched him move heavy debris out of their way with ease. "Wow," she breathed. "I...didn't know you could do that." she admitted. It hadn't clicked with her yet what his being unbound meant for the magic of the island yet. "What else do you notice? I mean - how do you feel?" she asked curiously. Sasha walked through the lobby with him and nodded towards the front counter. "Maybe we can hide back there, then we'd have some snacks too."

His heart fluttered when she took his hand, even in the circumstances. But focus didn't take long to kick in, as he looked around to take in any and all potential threats. Fight or flight was an instinct he was intimately familiar with - he knew how to assess properly. These magical beings came in all at once, and so suddenly. Elliot was partially hoping that whatever they wanted, whatever they were trying to do, they'd spare him and Sasha - it's not like they had anything to do with this... whatever this was. "Maybe," he sighed. "It's just insane, right now, is there like an emergency drill or something we were supposed to have? I don't remember any." Elliot looked around, trying to find any place that seemed safe, anywhere that they could hole out for a little. "Here, come on--" He pulled her to the right, to the Loews Theater that looked worse for wear, but at least empty. It was a happy place for him typically, and figured staying in the literal dark might keep them safe for a bit. He pulled open the doors for them and ran inside. Its flickering neon and music on a distorted, broken loop were their only company, and debris had fallen in the lobby. "Are you hurt or anything? Here--" He moved to push some of the beams and metal away from their path, before pausing, when he realized: "Whoa, I'm unbound." He looked back at Sasha. "That's probably not a good sign."

[sashaxbellx]

Sasha stiffened slightly and took a small step backwards at the man's outburst. "Sorry Sir, I just thought I'd offer." she said softly, and started to take another step away from him to leave since he clearly didn't want any help. But her brow furrowed when he spoke again, and she realized he wasn't talking to her anymore. She was starting to think she should leave this man alone to adjust, he clearly needed the space.

But she stopped when he gave her instructions, and she gave a small nod. "Yes Sir, I'll show you where it is." Sasha walked out of the room and waited for him to follow before leading him down the hallway. She wanted to ask if he was the new Sociology professor then, or how he got into that field, but he didn't seem like the type who enjoyed small talk. She didn't want to make him any angrier. So she remained quiet as they walked, and she stopped outside the classroom door. "It's right in here, Sir." she said, opening the door since his hands were full but remaining outside the room.

His eyes rested sternly on the intruder, even if mostly for show. Not much observation was needed to understand the kind of person she was. “Directions!?” His voice erupted, not as loud as before but with the same air of disapproval. Who walked into an empty room without the slightest suspicion? Who was so eager to come close to the only man left standing? Strix presumed that the reason she remained unscathed so far was that the true predators of this island did not enjoy shooting at sitting ducks.

“Not more than the rest of you”, the professor added dismissively. As Strix picked up one of the boxes, he made a few steps towards the slave but stopped abruptly. “No… No, that won’t do…” This time, the words were directed at himself, spoken almost absent-mindedly. The books, stones, ornaments and other oddities inside were far too valuable. The slave could easily drop or blemish them, much like the other one nearly had. Sighing, Strix returned to the old position to put the box on top of the other. He was tall but skinny, toned rather than muscular. The lack of strength and training was evident by the grunt that escaped his lips as he squatted down to lift both at the same time. “The Sociology classroom”, Strix commanded no less decisively. “You can make yourself useful now, little girl”

[sashaxbellx]