Sugar We're Going Down

[Chelsea Marie Simmons]

Humanties was always an interesting class. Unlike some of the other courses that were studied, the study of humanities was not all that varied from what was taught almost two centuries before. The Greek myths remained the same, as did the artwork and other artifacts that were studied. The only thing that really changed? The viewpoints. As human civilization progressed, old works of art could take on new meaning.

In all honesty, it was not the fault of the humanities teacher. They were simply lecturing on how the myth was interpreted over time. Unfortunately, the myth of Pandora's Box contained rather obvious sexist overtones. The first woman gifted to man released all of the evils upon the world. It made her sick. Yes, she realized these were the values of the patriarchal society that the Greeks were born into, but it did not quiet the blood that was quickly stewing to a boil beneath the surface. When the teacher made a remark as to the study of the Bible and the similarities between Pandora's Box and the story of Adam and Eve, Chelsea could no longer remain silent.

"Well, that would be all fine and dandy, if people didn't automatically assume that because it's in the Bible that it's right."

The teacher stopped in mid sentence to look at Chelsea. Rather than look sheepish at the fact that she'd interrupted a teacher in the middle of a lecture, she continued on.

"The unfortunate part is, there are still many people in the world who think along the lines of the Greeks and the writers of the Bible. I'm not arguing with the ideals of the Bible. I support those very much, but it's very clear that the Bible was written by humans, and contains all of their infallibility. Both stories are incredibly sexist, and should be treated as such."

"Ms. Simmons, I hardly believe this is appropriate for this class."

"Are you in support of this attitude? I thought the idea behind this subject was to reach our own conclusions based on the myths, not to go by what the books and our teachers tell us. Does it delight you to know that you're suppressing free speech within your students?"

The teacher was positively glaring at Chelsea at this point. Fortunately, before anything else could happen, the bell dismissing class rang. Students began ambling toward the door immediately, and Chelsea began to gather up her books, still redfaced and unable to take her eyes off of the teacher.

"Class dismissed. And Ms. Simmons, I'd like to see you in my classroom this Wednesday night. If that does not teach you a modicum of respect, I may just have to inform your parents."

"Ooh, I'm shaking in my corset." Chelsea rolled her eyes in response to the teacher, and marched out of the classroom with the rest of the students. She could already hear whispers and see people staring and pointing at her. She knew the entire school would know about her tirade in the middle of humanities by the end of the school day. What's more, she didn't particularly care. When Chelsea had an opinion, she wanted to voice it, dammit, not be told to shut up by a teacher.

The brunette sighed and leaned against the wall outside of the classroom. At best, she might have inspired a few other girls to rethink the stories of Adam and Eve and Pandora's Box, and realize how sexist they truly were. At worst, she just looked like a silly fifteen year old girl who wanted to disrupt class. Whatever they thought, Chelsea knew she couldn't back down on her beliefs. She had to have been reincarnated for a reason, and she had a feeling that her work was nowhere near done.

Word Count: 638
To: Isabella/Dante in ze pot
Notes: Whee, random rants and interrupting class for teh win!

[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

Humanities. last block of the day, thank goodness. Isabella was scurrying down the hall, books in her arms, trying to make it to class, when...

Jehanne. La Pucelle. Isabella's brown eyes grew wide, and her books fell to the floor. She bent down to pick them up, knowing the distant, but all too clear and close voice very, very well. Jehanne D'Arc. Always in French, always insistant. And she knew better than to ignore it, but people were beggining to stare. Dans votre classe suivante, il y aura une fille. In your next class, there will be a girl. She looked up, then back down, hands clasped tightly over a stray pen. Elle parlera et protestera de la boîte. She'd speak and protest a...box? What? A box? Isabella shook her head. A box? Surveillez-moi! Mind me, pay attention! The Voice demanded, but Isbaella heard the bell ring. She knelt in a desterted hall. Elle est un d'entre vous. She is one of you. Allez chez elle. Montrez-elle. Go to her. Show her.

Hm. Funny. Her class was comprised solely of sophomores. No freshman reincarnates. Someone new, then. She made the sign of the cross, gathered her books and got up again. "If you say so. But I don't understand a da-...anything, of this box business." She muttered into the empty hallway, and slipped into class five minutes late.

"Nice of you to join is, Ms. Avadore." The humanities teacher said as she shut the door behind her. "Your reason?"

"Dropped my books." The girl clad in black and red said. "My stuff got trampled in the hallway, I had to collect it." The teacher, to his credit, nodded and let her sit down. She hadn't been late to his class this year, so mercifully he let it slide, and launched into discussion.

Now normally, Isabella would be in the fray with the best of them, talking it out and going at every idea (when the teacher opened discussion) with both a religious and progressive view. Normally, she was in the mix. But today she had a mission. She was hunting down a reincarnate who would speak about a box. A girl in this class was going to speak out about a box. Why a box?

She initially had no idea, as she blew a stray hair out of her eyes. But the conversation shifted to Greek mythology. And Adam and Eve. Normally, this would be right up her alley. But she was watching every girl in class. Most she knew. None of those were reincarnates. Of those who were new, she had serious doubts about them all. But then again, all personalities came about, from Bathory to Edison. She made lazy notes, and then the teacher brought up a box.

Pandora's box. He stated the myth everyone had heard before, and went on speaking. There were similarities, even of an allegory's level - which was how Isabella took them. She glanced at the clock; class was almost over. Something had to happen soon, or she'd already missed what she'd dubbed the "event horizon" - the point at which anything God told her to prevent/take note of/warn about/what-have-you had taken place, which never was to good results.

The teacher went on, and Isabella went on making her own comparisons, taking no offence. But this was not, clearly, how one girl took them. She began to protest. Immediately, like most of the class, Isa's eyes were glued on the girl. Chelsea, wasn't it? Spunky, rather typical girl. But she was speaking out about a box. Speaking out about Pandora's box, and the Biblical references had probably gotten Boss' attention. Box. Girl. Reincarnate. Catch her. Bell ringing. She shook her head, gathered her stuff, and filed out, but stepped to the side of the door and waited, looking down at black, fingerless gloves and the wing outline design on them.

Chelsea came storming out, muttering about corsets, and Isabella reached out with the arm that wasn't holding binders. "Chelsea." Isabella whispered, knowing that the girl was getting a bunch of stares here. Here was not the time to talk to her. "Hang back a bit, I want - I need - to speak with you."

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words| 800
tagged| Chelsea / Mandee
notes| Here we go. >D

[Chelsea Marie Simmons]

Chelsea stayed behind for a few minutes, trying to calm herself. Humanities was the last class before lunch, which at least meant that Chelsea wouldn't be on edge in her next class. Lunch would give her adequate time to rest. Granted, her words would likely be repeated throughout the school for the entire day, possibly even week. Not that this was necessarily a bad thing - She would be pleased if she even reached one person's ears. She also did not want to be thought of as a crackpot. It was hard to reach a middle road when it came to these situations, especially when one felt so passionately about something. If only she had allies in this cause. Allies that would be just as vocal as she was, to back her up. Chelsea liked being a leader, but the problem was that she felt as though she had no one to lead at this point.

The teen tried not to pay attention to those around her. Hearing a whisper or seeing a glare would only set her off once more. She knew that she would not be taken seriously if she stayed upset for the rest of the day. She needed to take this in turns. A protest here, a protest there. One little protest rarely did the trick. She'd learned that as Susan.

The last thing Chelsea expected was to be approached by another sophomore, one from the very class that she'd just left. She vaguely knew the girl, in the way that one would know a classmate that they had a few classes with but rarely ever talked to unless an assignment required it. Isabella sounded like the proper name to go with the face. Chelsea was, then, understandably confused when Isabella approached her in the hallway after class. Isabella seemed like a nice enough girl, but the two had never interacted before this point. Why the sudden change?

A few ideas raced through Chelsea's mind. Maybe she'd actually hit a nerve with her protest. This much was possible. The world couldn't be changed by one protest, but it could certainly set things in motion. The fact remained though that change took time. Susan had fought for almost her entire life, along with plenty of others (many of whom Susan was even on friendly terms with). Despite this, women did not earn the right to vote until 1920 - 18 years after Susan's death. And even though women had the right to vote, not all was hunky-dory. Women were still paid less than men in the workforce. It was almost two centuries after Susan's birth and her mission was far from over. Social change was a frustratingly slow process.

The more likely idea was that Isabella was one of those types who would tell her off for interrupting class. She tried to recall if Isabella was the teacher's pet type from other classes, but no particular incidents came to mind. Nevertheless, Chelsea decided not to go forth with any hostility. That was hardly the way to start off a conversation, especially if she wanted any answers. Chelsea was impulsive and passionate, yes, but she didn't want to get expelled. She could scarcely imagine what her parents would think if she were kicked out for arguing with a teacher about Pandora's box. There were better arguments, better places, and better times.

"What's going on?" Chelsea whispered to the other girl. It was a valid question, and one that Chelsea wanted answered before anything else was to occur.


Word Count: 591
To: Isabella/Dante in ze pot
Notes: Ideological rambles for the win? XD

[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

Okay, so, with any luck, Isabella had caught the "event horizon" and was acting on the right thing. The Voice had said in her next class, not the classes after lunch, not in the hallway, in her next class. No one else had spoken out about the box, and the teacher was ruled out on basis of gender. That brought her to point number two. Assuming Chelsea was a reincarnate, who was she, exactly?

Speaking out like that, due to the sex of Pandora and the whole Eve-and-the-snake thing made her feel quite strongly that Chelsea was some sort of civil rights activist reincarnated, as opposed to a male reincarnated into a female body. Or a politician. Trouble was, she didn't know Chelsea well enough to narrow it down. The girl didn't seem evil...but then again, neither did the reincarnation of Elizabeth Bathory, who was pure evil. So evil, Saint Joan was quite convinced that holy water might just leave Leila's skin pockmarked...well, that didn't stand to reason. But she didn't like serial killers. She'd met and been deceived by one, and that was enough for five lifetimes, thanks!

She reached out, and managed to catch Chelsea's attention. The other girl turned, and Isabella had a feeling she was still very angry about the whole issue. Personally, she felt Chelsea had way, way overreacted. A spaz about Pandora's box had been a little out of place. But it had given away that she was unusual. That was what she was after. "Nothing much..." Isabella said in response to her question. other than that she was about to get a major revelation, nothing much was up. She looked around the hallway, which was almost deserted. "But it's really essential that I talk to you. I know you don't know me well, but humour me, okay?" Without waiting for permission, Isabella, who still held a bit of the girl's sleeve, led her down the hall to a dead end, with bay windows. A common area, but a small, little used one. The porches were popular, and she could see them busy with students eating lunch. Her lunch was back in her dorm room.

"I'm cutting into your lunch, but I'm just as hungry as you are." Isabella could remember the first day she'd been recruited. She'd given herself away to the eye of a recruiter; being scared of a tiny candle was something most teenagers did not consider typical. That and she kept having 'hunches' that weren't wrong. It had been an interesting day, when she'd been taken aside and asked if she'd ever had thoughts that didn't seem to fit her body. memories of events that were in textbooks; maybe she'd even seen herself in paintings, but they weren't her, in the same way. "I don't know how to say this." Isabella began, "Well, wait. I ought to know what you know. Have you ever heard of the school club called "RSOR"? Ever wondered what it was? But no one would tell you, if you asked?" She looked back at the mouth of the hallway, then peeked around the corner. She looked both ways before looking back to Chelsea.

---------------
words| 605
tagged| Chelsea / Mandee
notes| Rambles are fun! =D

[Chelsea Marie Simmons]

Chelsea could not help but arch an eyebrow as Isabella informed her that 'nothing much' was up. She knew bullshit when she saw it. The pause afterward, plus the simple fact that Isabella would not approach Chelsea after class unless something indeed was up. Sure enough, when Isabella continued on, Chelsea's suspicions were confirmed.

"Of course I'll talk to you, but if you've come here to tell me off for interrupting class, I can't promise I'll be listening for very long." She hated being told to quiet down. A fresh surge of anger at the situation rose up. She hoped, for Isabella's sake, that she hadn't approached Chelsea for this. Otherwise she'd probably get an earful, and when Chelsea was on a roll, she did not stop easily.

It didn't seem as though this was the case, however. Isabella could tell her off easily in the middle of the hallway - Others had done it before, and Chelsea had done it to others before (obviously, if she had no qualms about getting into an argument with a teacher in class, she would have no problem with arguing with a student in the hallway). No, this was something different, Chelsea could tell...but what? She was slightly suspicious, but curiosity overwhelmed any sense of apprehension that Chelsea might feel. Whatever Isabella wanted to talk to her about, it seemed very important to the other girl, and that only made Chelsea latch on more. This girl seemed like she was on a mission, and Chelsea was certainly willing to humor that. Perhaps more, if she liked what she heard.

The teen glanced around as Isabella led her into a deserted common area. Despite it being her second year at the school, Chelsea had never entered this common area before - And she had a feeling that was why this was chosen. Chelsea didn't know why this other girl was acting so secretive, but she was playing along. If she didn't, she wouldn't receive the answer she craved. Isabella had her captivated, whether it was intentional or not.

Chelsea shrugged as the other girl apologized for cutting into her lunch. "No big deal. I'm not sure if I'm hungry after that class anyway." Chelsea muttered. She knew the myth of Pandora's Box was just that...a myth. It wasn't the myth so much that she was ranting about, but rather the fact that 2000 years later, some people still treated women as though they were the reason for all of the evils on the Earth. It was a completely ridiculous idea, of course, but one of Chelsea's trigger points.

Distraction from her thoughts came in the form of Isabella speaking out once more. She was asked if she knew about the RSOR. Chelsea could not help but snort. "Who hasn't heard of the RSOR?" Besides freshmen, but even they would learn rather quickly about the RSOR. Chelsea didn't quite understand why the group, whatever it was, seemed so secretive.

Then it hit. Isabella was being secretive. The RSOR seemed to operate on secrecy. Isabella was talking to Chelsea about the RSOR. "This has something to do with the RSOR, doesn't it?" Chelsea asked with a small grin on her face. She was satisfied with herself for having figured it out, while at the same time disappointed that she hadn't figured it out sooner. It was there staring her right in the face, after all. "I hope this means you'll explain what those lovely letters stand for." Curiosity might have killed the cat, but fortunately Chelsea was no feline.


Word Count: 606
To: Isabella/Dante in ze pot
Notes: The big reveal is coooooooooooming!

[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

Isabella said nothing when Chelsea made no promises about listening for very long. That was BS. Unless she had no interest in RSOR, or the state of her soul, she would listen. Isa had yet to find a reincarnate that didn't want to be who they were. Leopard's spots did change somewhat, but they didn't turn into stripes out of nowhere and certainly not post mortem, or heaven only knew, Bonnie Parker might have stopped smoking! That would be nice...but it wasn't happening, Isabella knew that. So she'd interested in air fresheners. She didn't want all her stuff smelling like smoke, thanks. If Chelsea's personality was even somewhat the same, she'd be interested.

And so it seemed she was. She didn't protest as Isabella led her away, or as they stood in one of the more deserted corners of the old-fashioned school. "It's just Pandora's box, there's no reason to kill your appetite. There are better things to argue about." Isabella said matter-of-factly, then raised one of her hands. "And don't you dare rip my head off, because I think you'll want to hear what I have to say." Isabella added, standing a bit taller. She normally carried herself tall and confidently, but she added to it. Taller, sharper. Not so easy to mess with. Tricks from last time. Now was not the time to argue about women's rights or the wording used in a myth. That could come for later, when Isabella was in an argumentative mood. Right now, she had a mission; and she would complete that mission.

Her inquiry about RSOR was met with a snort. Good. She didn't need to explain the school had a super-secret club. In fact, Chelsea put the pieces together rather quickly. "Maybe it will mean that." Isabella nodded. RSOR. The club had been founded years and years ago - case and point, the drama teacher was RSOR alumni, and had managed to function. It was a legacy in the school. Given no definition in the school handbook, free reign of the attic...it was no wonder she was grinning. "I'm one of RSOR's six leaders." Isabella went on. That was fine for people to know, but she checked the hall again. No one. Great.

"So, that being said, I do have the authority to do this, and if you lie to me you will be woefully sorry." Isabella warned. Some people did try lying into RSOR. They didn't succeed getting in; they generally got injured.

Jehanne... The Voices came back, and Isbella paused, a distant look entering her eyes. Elle ne ment pas. Je ne me trompe pas. She does not lie. I am not wrong.

Well, she best not be lying right now! She nodded to herself, then met Chelsea in the eye. "Chelsea, have you ever had thoughts and memories that you think might not be yours? If you do, I'm going to tell you here and now that they are yours. If you know they're yours, great. Memories that don't seem quite...congruent to your body, right here, right now? Memories of a childhood, right along life to a death. You understand me, don't you? You have those memories." The last word was not a question, but a statement, a small smile playing in Isabella's lips.

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words| 633
tagged| Chelsea / Mandee
notes| DUNDUNDUN...very soon now....

[Chelsea Marie Simmons]

Chelsea felt mixed feelings toward this girl when she responded to the subject of Pandora's box. She knew that she was getting worked up over something silly, yes. However, she also realized that a few seemingly inconsequential 'silly' things like this could have a much larger impact than one expected.

The teen was about to protest when Isabella retorted. Chelsea's was stunned at this point. She was used to dishing it out, but not so much taking it. She wasn't expecting a comeback from this girl, and certainly not such a persuasive one. Chelsea quieted at once, deciding to give this girl a chance to speak before she jumped all over her. There was something about Isabella that seemed to command respect, and Chelsea could admire that in another female.

Chelsea's eyes widened at the major revelation. Isabella was one of the RSOR's six leaders? Certainly Chelsea wasn't being approached unless the leaders expressed an interest in her, something that made Chelsea grin. Obviously this girl had spotted something in her, and that made Chelsea swell with pride. Perhaps this wasn't such a good thing, as Chelsea could be a bit bigheaded at times, but at least she was listening now. If the RSOR expressed an interest in her, it meant that she'd like learn about this super secret organization within the school. It was the stuff of legend, of course. Little did she know that the RSOR was filled with plenty of legends on it's own.

The teen bit her lip in confusion as a distant look appeared in Isabella's eyes for a second or two. "Are you..." She trailed off as Isabella's appearance went back to normal. She watched as Isabella nodded (seemingly to psyche herself up, if you asked Chelsea), and then began with her explanation.

Nothing could have prepared her for what she heard next. Absolutely nothing, short of maybe a message from God (oh how ironic that would have been). Any normal girl would think that Isabella was absolutely batshit insane. They'd run to report her to the authorities immediately. Chelsea admired the other girl's bravery. Chelsea was quite courageous herself, but she could not see herself approaching another person with such news that Isabella was approaching her with now. Obviously, Chelsea was not the type of person to report her, as Chelsea was exactly what Isabella thought she was. However, there were certainly risks of going up to the wrong person, and Chelsea wasn't sure if she'd want to deal with those.

Chelsea met Isabella's smile with one of her own. It was as though these two girls shared a deep, sacred secret. And in a way, they did. Chelsea was not yet aware that there were others like her, but the idea that there was even one other girl at the school who could understand...it was an amazing comfort. "Yes. Ever since I can remember. I take it you have too, judging by your demeanor." Chelsea spoke quietly, which said something. Normally Chelsea was loud and boisterous in her speech, but this...this was still a shock to Chelsea. "Is...does this have something to do with the RSOR?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. Chelsea felt a bit shaken at this point. Who was this girl before her? Was it possible that there were others like them? Obviously, if this had anything to do with the RSOR, there were plenty more.


Word Count: 575
To: Isabella/Dante in ze pot
Notes: I hope I'm not making Chelsea too observant. >.>

[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

Isabella saw the retort about to take form on Chelsea's lips, but her own words made her shut up. Good. Isabella would shut her down if needed, but she rather this not be a push-and-pull thing to get the girl where she belonged. Then they could debate, if they wanted, maybe even get a few others to chip in. Until then, Isabella was going to made sure it was clear she was in charge of this conversation for now, or Chelsea would, in fact, be opening a Pandora's box for herself.

That was also why Isabella introduced herself as one of the leaders. It had the desired effect. Chelsea's reaction seemed to be one of shock for a moment, then she seemed quite pleased. Hm. Well, she knew where this conversation was going so that made sense. RSOR didn't express interest in people for no reason, and doubtlessly she knew that. And she was special. No one who wasn't was reincarnated to start with! Why? Isabella had no idea. Some ideas were proposed, like they were to do great things again - but then why villains? Other prosed a soul was energy. Memories, the essence, and the like, went on to ...where ever. Energy got recycled, and they were anomalies. It still didn't explain the lack of average Joes, but it was the best they had.

She zoned out totally as the Voices spoke again, but did catch a distant 'are you...'. Once she snapped back, she smiled. "I'm fine." She said. Sometimes she missed the past, where she could have those moments without seeming insane.

Insane was how she could well have sounded to anyone who didn't know what was going on, but Chelsea had yet to cut her off, proving the Voices correct yet again. She hit the core of the issue, and when she finished, noted that Chelsea put it together well. Some got it quickly, others didn't. She also picked out Isabella by demeanour, which was new. most assumed because of the speech, not the action. Then again, she hadn't taken a stab at who she was. If she had, things may have gotten worrisome - she'd have to have taken more care with herself. Then again, not a ton of people spent time matching personalities to those in history...if their personalities were even written down.

"Yes, I do have memories like that." She ignored the question about RSOR for the moment, as she walked closer to Chelsea so she could whisper to the other girl. "It's called 'reincarnation'. An old soul in a new body. Life number two. Do you follow me? You remember a death - then, wham, you have memories of a childhood. This childhood." She met Chelsea's eyes, and the look in Isabella's own was not one of guesswork, but knowing. "A secret you must always keep, or you'd be called insane. I'm the same. Who are you, Chelsea?"

After checking the hallway yet again, Isabella held her right hand out, offering a handshake. Normally, she'd be taking things slower, but the Voices did not lie. The girl would not lie about this, so Isabella could speed up the process. "I am Jehanne D'Arc, known in English as Joan."

----------
words| 587
tagged| Chelsea / Mandee
notes| Time for revelation!