EHEG (IC/Open/Anime/Slice-of-life)

[Charlia]

Completely ignoring the girl's plea, the lumberjack chopped one more book, and he turned quickly to lunge at the praying mantis, his axe ready to swing instantly. "Die you oversized bug!"

One must wonder, why the heck Maria even drew this man in the first place. She could have cut the wall down herself, but noooooo.

She was really angry now, and she shot to her feet, her hand swinging out and impacting the man's face with a resounding crack. "Out of my room, right now, or I will get security on you before you can say 'Timber!'"

[Empire of Donner land]

"No problem, you don't have to act around me." He replied. Faron went back to his book. He turned the book around and looked at the cover. It wasn't that badly damaged, something was just covering the letters it looked like. Faron scratched at space infront of Mo- and the word Monty was revealed. He didn't have to scratch anymore to figure out what kind of book is this and he hl opened it back up. What were the chances that he would find this?

Willow nodded and went back to her book, noticing she was finished with it. I need a life...I read too fast. She sighed and got up to grab another book, fancying an astrological one. Maybe something about the constellations? She was about to go to the observatory with Faron...on a...date. She smiled every time she heard or thought the word. She did a little twirl between the book cases, out of view of anyone. She was quite happy and excited, despite all of the other shit that happened that day. The librarian needed to hurry up and dish out the punishment, he was taking forever. The teachers and staff back home punished her instantly. They still enjoyed using rulers or paddles. Not very enjoyable for her. She picked out a book on the Sagittarius and sat back down, a little closer to Faron this time. "When do you think he'll finally let us out of here?" She whispered to him.

"No clue." He responded and gave a shrug. He continued flipping though the pages reading everything at a modest speed. He then thought of the possible punishments. Would he just hit them maybe, or was he going to subject then to some king of torture? He didn't want to think about it especially with Willow nearby just right next to him. He looked at Willow trying to focus on her eyes after he spoke but his eyes slowly went downwards. No, no and no. That's rude and Willow might catch you. he thought and looked back up and went back to his books.

[North Arkana]

Kristina Peterson

Nodding, the girl wiped away the small drop of blood from off her neck, and led Maya out of the infirmary. If she had been more cautious, she would have realized that this woman was a ticking time-bomb. But to Kristina, she was just a misunderstood, hurting individual who needed help. Although this may turn out better for them both in the end.

After but a couple minutes, the pair made it to her room. Opening the door, she showed Maya in. "Its not a very big room, and there's not much for seating. But we can just sit on my bed, no biggie."

Plopping herself down on one end of the bed, she smiled at the woman. "So, as I said, I'm Kristina. But I never caught your names. And if you could speak one at a time, it would be nice. That way I don't get too confused.

"Also, if you would tell me more about yourselves too, it would be appreciated."

No, she was not a psychologist. However, she loved reading books on abnormal psychology, so she might as well be one....Right?

Crossing her legs and resting her elbows on her knees, she listened quietly to the woman's reply.

Maya sat next to Kristina on the bed.
"Speaking to us one at a time isn't something which can easily be done. Technically speaking, I'm the weakest of the three personas. For the time being, I'm able to force my control, but it's inevitable that one of the others will take over again. Because I don't know how much time I have to talk to you, I'll get to the point.
"I am the original Maya Shimizu. Or at least what's left of her. The others are really two sides of the same coin. Both the Maya most people know, and Nao, are both coping mechanisms. Something like self-justifications. Each one balances out the other, but unfortunately, they operate on extremes. Maya is extremely positive, a collection of everything good that used to be inside of me, while Nao is a product of every negative emotion I've ever felt. And then there's me. The broken she'll of what used to be a normal girl. There aren't really 'neutral' emotions to feed my persona, so it remains the weakest of the three."

[Land of the Risen]

Lazarus watched Maria carefully as she answered to the librarian. "What else are u gonna use then?" He took a swig of his drink and lit a cigarette, making sure to keep and smoke away from the books so the librarian wouldn't bitch at him. No ones ever botched at him before for smoking in the building, so why should they now? "You guys sure you don't want to ditch? I'm sure you guys are starving." He addressed the group.

[Lycanth]

Willow nodded and went back to her book, noticing she was finished with it. I need a life...I read too fast. She sighed and got up to grab another book, fancying an astrological one. Maybe something about the constellations? She was about to go to the observatory with Faron...on a...date. She smiled every time she heard or thought the word. She did a little twirl between the book cases, out of view of anyone. She was quite happy and excited, despite all of the other shit that happened that day. The librarian needed to hurry up and dish out the punishment, he was taking forever. The teachers and staff back home punished her instantly. They still enjoyed using rulers or paddles. Not very enjoyable for her. She picked out a book on the Sagittarius and sat back down, a little closer to Faron this time. "When do you think he'll finally let us out of here?" She whispered to him.

"No clue." He responded and gave a shrug. He continued flipping though the pages reading everything at a modest speed. He then thought of the possible punishments. Would he just hit them maybe, or was he going to subject then to some king of torture? He didn't want to think about it especially with Willow nearby just right next to him. He looked at Willow trying to focus on her eyes after he spoke but his eyes slowly went downwards. No, no and no. That's rude and Willow might catch you. he thought and looked back up and went back to his books.

Willow noticed his eyes flicking down then back up very quickly. Did he just... She looked down at her chest, noticing that her shirt was a kind of low. She pulled it up a little self-consciously and blushed. She raised an eyebrow at him and had the smallest smirk. "Watcha...lookin at hmm?" She placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands, causing her chest to move out more. I've never done this sort of thing before...it's kind of...awkward... She didn't stay like that long, feeling a little exposed even though her arms were blocking her chest in her failed attempt to "show off." Claire turned side to side, her equivalent to a head shake, and scuttled under the table, back to her web. One of Maria's mosquitoes got caught in her web and she hastily wrapped it up for a nice meal. Willow mentally sighed as she moved back to messing with her skirt and reading, periodically glancing at Faron. God I suck at this attractive thing...Can't I just make a little web in the corner like you, Claire? The spider ignored her and tried to eat a fake mosquito. She looked up at Lazarus as he asked mentioned ditching. "Uh...I don't think the librarian would be very happy a bout that..."

[Mavorpen]

Andrea was still hugging Jenn and Jenn was still being annoyed by the hug when Jamie returned to the library. He was obviously both confused and very annoyed over what was occurring. Willow had appeared to be too frozen with embarrassment to move off of Faron, and Faron was probably not willing to just push her off.

Then Willow kissed Faron, but Andrea and Jenn missed it because they were too busy looking at Jamie. Then Jamie told them to find a book and sit down and read it. Andrea and Jenn sat across from Willow and Faron, even though they technically weren't apart of the group being "punished."

"What are you doing here? I thought you guys had to stay a few extra days?" Andrea asked Jenn opened one of the two books she was holding.

"What are you talking about?" Jenn responded in confusion.

"You told me that you wouldn't be able to make it back probably until next week because you and your family missed your flight so you were probably gonna have to stay a few extra days."

"Oh. I lied." Jenn simply said, not looking up from her book.

"What? Why!?" Andrea exclaimed in a more hushed tone to keep herself from screaming.

"Because I knew you would react like that."

"Wha-- you-- do you know what I've been through? The President made us take part in some bullshit 'Orientation Games' or whatever." Andrea sighed as she recalled the events.

"Oh, I know. Why do you think I got here late? I told my parents that school started tomorrow rather than today because of the 'Orientation Games.' I wasn't going to go through that a second time. I had the choice between staying at a vacation resort on an island with my parents and annoying sister or deal with the Orientation Games. I chose the former."

"Wait, if you remembered the Games, why didn't you warn me? I would have just skipped!" Andrea hissed at her, trying to keep her voice down in light of her anger.

"Because, like I said, I knew you would react like this." A tiny grin flashed across Jenn's face and quickly disappeared, but it lasted just long enough for Andrea to notice it.

"You-!" Andrea slammed her forehead to the desk and released an exasperated groan.

[Sonitusia]

Completely ignoring the girl's plea, the lumberjack chopped one more book, and he turned quickly to lunge at the praying mantis, his axe ready to swing instantly. "Die you oversized bug!"

One must wonder, why the heck Maria even drew this man in the first place. She could have cut the wall down herself, but noooooo.

She was really angry now, and she shot to her feet, her hand swinging out and impacting the man's face with a resounding crack. "Out of my room, right now, or I will get security on you before you can say 'Timber!'"

The lumberjack was not amused. His grip on the axe tightened as he was halted on his quest for extermination, and his face grew more furious than before. "Really? 'Ell guess 'hat. Timber, you little 'hore." He proceeds to chop more books, and then destroy the desk as well. "'Aybe I get rid of your boy's 'wood' as 'ell, aye?"

Beth was happy at her acceptance to her proposal. She blushed a bit at making it, but such a notion was washed away by her excitement. She squeed with joy, before jumping up and down in the air. She clenched her hands the whole time, and then spun around Harriet, all of course while twisting her around with her. All of this might even make Harriet dizzy.

"ah, um, sorry," She said as she calmed down, "I can be very emotional at times. Wait did I already tell you that? Either way, we should get to the IT room. They don't like waiting for these things."

Harriet smiled a bit curiously, and decided to do something interesting. "Well, maybe I can help?" She held onto Beth a bit closer, squeezing her eyes shut and praying to god she wouldn't mess up. Instantly, their bodies turned into particles. Harriet was used to this, having practiced how to do so when she first learned about her powers in detail, and she could solidify everything easily when she needed to. Before Beth could react to being split into a gajillion pieces, Harriet's particles had intertwined with her's, and briskly began blowing them through walls all the way towards the IT room.

[Charlia]

She was really angry now, and she shot to her feet, her hand swinging out and impacting the man's face with a resounding crack. "Out of my room, right now, or I will get security on you before you can say 'Timber!'"

The lumberjack was not amused. His grip on the axe tightened as he was halted on his quest for extermination, and his face grew more furious than before. "Really? 'Ell guess 'hat. Timber, you little 'hore." He proceeds to chop more books, and then destroy the desk as well. "'Aybe I get rid of your boy's 'wood' as 'ell, aye?"

"All right then. Cover your ears, Morman, although I can't promise that will protect you!" She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and then let out a long, piercing scream, filling it with as much anguish and terror as she could muster--and she could muster quite a lot. Chances are anyone within a 50-feet radius would have heard her.

[Lancearc]

While Morman didn't really register her warning in his wallowing in why his life had to be so shit every time he accomplished anything, his companion in the corner took the winger girl's awful shrieking as a call for help, and after observing the ax man speaking with her, deduced that it was appropriate then to lunge after the lumberjack. Swinging its arms quickly and with the practiced precision of the natural predator it was, but on a much larger scale capable of actually inflicted harm upon flesh and bone.

[Charmera]

The lumberjack was not amused. His grip on the axe tightened as he was halted on his quest for extermination, and his face grew more furious than before. "Really? 'Ell guess 'hat. Timber, you little 'hore." He proceeds to chop more books, and then destroy the desk as well. "'Aybe I get rid of your boy's 'wood' as 'ell, aye?"

"All right then. Cover your ears, Morman, although I can't promise that will protect you!" She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and then let out a long, piercing scream, filling it with as much anguish and terror as she could muster--and she could muster quite a lot. Chances are anyone within a 50-feet radius would have heard her.

Fun thing about floating. It makes reading while moving super easy.

Cyll read her book as she wandered the halls, having a natural desire to roam. After all the crowdedness of the library was getting a tad bit overwhelming. So wandering helped calm her sometimes fragile nerves. Though what sent that calm tumbling out the window was a scream. Cyll's eyes widened as she floated faster, quickly following the scream, leading to a cut door and what seemed to be a girl, a Mantis, a guy and a guy with an axe. A lumberjack? How Ironic. After all it had been a woodsman who killed the big bad wolf...

"Um. Excuse me. But what's going on here?" She asked, slightly timidly, but her eyes were drawn by the axe and the Mantis blades. And they narrowed ever so slightly at the threats. Wolves began to bear their teeth.

[Sonitusia]

"That's a nice yell you got ther- RAAAAA!!!" The lumberjack was cut off by his sudden urge to also charge the praying mantis, and the two locked into an epic duel of man versus beast. The lumberjack tries to swing his axe, but is blocked by the claws. The mantis tries to bite his head off, but the man raises his axe in the nick of time.

The marines in the infirmary had suddenly heard the scream, and all agreed silently to run towards the source. "Sounds like a maiden in distress!" George shouts, the other two just hard faced as they ran towards the dorm.

[New Jordslag]

Jamie Books

Jamie closed his phone and smiled. Edwin had just given him permission to sentence them to a week of detention. He'd make sure they'd never want to go to this library ever again. "Alright! Listen up, you ungrateful little pieces of shit! Edwin himself has just sentenced Willow, Faron, and Maria to a week of detention, with yours truly." Jamie grinned, before continuing. "That means I can force you to read whatever I please. Therefore, you are all condemned to Stephen King horror books!" Finally, these brats would get their due. "Oh, and no talking to anyone outside the detention group." Jamie laughed in delight, then turned to Cyll. "Sorry, I had to tell some students their punishment. They caused the recent Spider Attack. So what were you saying?" This girl would get in trouble eventually too, and he would delight in giving the punishment. But for now, he was happy to help her.

Maximilian Steel

Max could only chuckle as he watched En angrily stomp his camera into a thousand pieces. En then asked him if he knew what a Thunderclap grenade did. "I do, but I'll humor you. What could something called a Thunderclap grenade ever do?" He rolled his eyes. If En was looking to threaten him, she'd have to find a better way to do it. "I'm sure the newbies would like to know, Miz Prezkitten."

Wallen Frost

Wallen smiled kindly at the small girl. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're hungry." He said, humorously. "I don't have much on me at the moment, but I have a chocolate bar that I could give you, if you're really hungry." He pulled out the chocolate bar, and offered it to her. "As for the boy, I don't know much in the field of medicine, but I know some. He'll be fine. Maybe." He looked curiously at the doll in her arms. "What's the name of this doll?"

[Land of the Risen]

Jamie Books

Jamie closed his phone and smiled. Edwin had just given him permission to sentence them to a week of detention. He'd make sure they'd never want to go to this library ever again. "Alright! Listen up, you ungrateful little pieces of shit! Edwin himself has just sentenced Willow, Faron, and Maria to a week of detention, with yours truly." Jamie grinned, before continuing. "That means I can force you to read whatever I please. Therefore, you are all condemned to Stephen King horror books!" Finally, these brats would get their due. "Oh, and no talking to anyone outside the detention group." Jamie laughed in delight, then turned to Cyll. "Sorry, I had to tell some students their punishment. They caused the recent Spider Attack. So what were you saying?" This girl would get in trouble eventually too, and he would delight in giving the punishment. But for now, he was happy to help her.

Maximilian Steel

Max could only chuckle as he watched En angrily stomp his camera into a thousand pieces. En then asked him if he knew what a Thunderclap grenade did. "I do, but I'll humor you. What could something called a Thunderclap grenade ever do?" He rolled his eyes. If En was looking to threaten him, she'd have to find a better way to do it. "I'm sure the newbies would like to know, Miz Prezkitten."

Wallen Frost

Wallen smiled kindly at the small girl. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're hungry." He said, humorously. "I don't have much on me at the moment, but I have a chocolate bar that I could give you, if you're really hungry." He pulled out the chocolate bar, and offered it to her. "As for the boy, I don't know much in the field of medicine, but I know some. He'll be fine. Maybe." He looked curiously at the doll in her arms. "What's the name of this doll?"

Lazarus looked back at the librarian and shuddered. He had a weird way of punishment. He wanted to speak up, but decided it was best not to, for the sake of his own ass. He instead, kept pretending to read his book, not making much movement. Little did he know that the book was upside down. He really should've paid more attention to that, huh?

[Charmera]

"That's a nice yell you got ther- RAAAAA!!!" The lumberjack was cut off by his sudden urge to also charge the praying mantis, and the two locked into an epic duel of man versus beast. The lumberjack tries to swing his axe, but is blocked by the claws. The mantis tries to bite his head off, but the man raises his axe in the nick of time.

The marines in the infirmary had suddenly heard the scream, and all agreed silently to run towards the source. "Sounds like a maiden in distress!" George shouts, the other two just hard faced as they ran towards the dorm.

Cyll wasn't exactly sure what to do. But she knew that the longer she waited the more chances there were of someone getting hurt. She quickly assesed the situation. She was inclined to trust the human over the Mantis, but Cyll was smart enough to realise that here assuming things like that too quickly could be bad. But she needed to do something. So she made an excutive decision. Quickly floating towards the both of them, she used her wolf heads to move the two of them apart from each other, seperating them as if they were cubs fighting. She concentrated, making sure neither would be hurt by her efforts. "Again! What's going on here!"

[Sonitusia]

Maria feigned shock. "Oh no, not Stephen King! You're going to kill us!" she cried in false misery. She then opened several pages back of her sketchbook, finding and older drawing, and showing it to the others who got stuck in detention, that being Willow and Faron, including Lazarus since he was there. It was a comic of the hit thriller story 'It', except parodied to mass proportions. "I've read them all, I'd suggest reading my rendition though. It's much more... Fun.~" She then sent the drone to get her one of Stephen King's other famous titles, The Shining.

---

The bloodshot eyes of the lumberjack glared at the girl, and then he pointed his axe towards a book and then the mantis. "I'm just doing what I do best, choppin' wood and killin' pests!"

[Charmera]

Maria feigned shock. "Oh no, not Stephen King! You're going to kill us!" she cried in false misery. She then opened several pages back of her sketchbook, finding and older drawing, and showing it to the others who got stuck in detention, that being Willow and Faron, including Lazarus since he was there. It was a comic of the hit thriller story 'It', except parodied to mass proportions. "I've read them all, I'd suggest reading my rendition though. It's much more... Fun.~" She then sent the drone to get her one of Stephen King's other famous titles, The Shining.

---

The bloodshot eyes of the lumberjack glared at the girl, and then he pointed his axe towards a book and then the mantis. "I'm just doing what I do best, choppin' wood and killin' pests!"

"Wait... so your the one who chopped down her door?" She pointed at the girl. She looked at the Lumberjack and then the Mantis again. "You're chopping people's stuff. That's not exactly nice." She remarked. Her book held under her arm. "And if you even think about chopping one of my wolves. I am going to be very... very cross." She threatened.

[Lancearc]

Maria feigned shock. "Oh no, not Stephen King! You're going to kill us!" she cried in false misery. She then opened several pages back of her sketchbook, finding and older drawing, and showing it to the others who got stuck in detention, that being Willow and Faron, including Lazarus since he was there. It was a comic of the hit thriller story 'It', except parodied to mass proportions. "I've read them all, I'd suggest reading my rendition though. It's much more... Fun.~" She then sent the drone to get her one of Stephen King's other famous titles, The Shining.

---

The bloodshot eyes of the lumberjack glared at the girl, and then he pointed his axe towards a book and then the mantis. "I'm just doing what I do best, choppin' wood and killin' pests!"

"Wait... so your the one who chopped down her door?" She pointed at the girl. She looked at the Lumberjack and then the Mantis again. "You're chopping people's stuff. That's not exactly nice." She remarked. Her book held under her arm. "And if you even think about chopping one of my wolves. I am going to be very... very cross." She threatened.

"Please find a way to get very cross, maybe it'll convince him to go chop down the library, there's plenty of wood out that way." Morman groaned, still able to feel his ears ringing due to his proximity to Charlotte's impressive shrieking. He wasn't absolutely certain that his ears wouldn't start bleeding.

[Sonitusia]

The lumberjack's ear perked up. "Library?" He instantly turned around, completely forgetting about what was going on around him, and ran off. The marines were about to stop him, but he just knocked them over like bowling pins. "Dear god, that man's quite the behemoth," George muttered, rubbing his forehead in slight pain as he had been knocked into the wall. The other two didn't fare so well, falling onto each other.

Standing up, the mustachioed man went up to the three students, and asked, "Anything we can... Help with?"

[Lancearc]

The lumberjack's ear perked up. "Library?" He instantly turned around, completely forgetting about what was going on around him, and ran off. The marines were about to stop him, but he just knocked them over like bowling pins. "Dear god, that man's quite the behemoth," George muttered, rubbing his forehead in slight pain as he had been knocked into the wall. The other two didn't fare so well, falling onto each other.

Standing up, the mustachioed man went up to the three students, and asked, "Anything we can... Help with?"

Morman stood from his seat on Charlotte's bed, dragging out his moment of triumph. "We really do appreciate your quick response, but once again Captain Robert Morman has pulled the platoon back from the brink with his quick thinking and immense courage." he boasted in an admittedly exaggerated, goofy 'hero' voice.

[Charlia]

The lumberjack's ear perked up. "Library?" He instantly turned around, completely forgetting about what was going on around him, and ran off. The marines were about to stop him, but he just knocked them over like bowling pins. "Dear god, that man's quite the behemoth," George muttered, rubbing his forehead in slight pain as he had been knocked into the wall. The other two didn't fare so well, falling onto each other.

Standing up, the mustachioed man went up to the three students, and asked, "Anything we can... Help with?"

Morman stood from his seat on Charlotte's bed, dragging out his moment of triumph. "We really do appreciate your quick response, but once again Captain Robert Morman has pulled the platoon back from the brink with his quick thinking and immense courage." he boasted in an admittedly exaggerated, goofy 'hero' voice.

Unfortunately, Charlotte started laughing so hard that she fell over. When she managed to regain her composure, she spoke again. "Thank you, but at this point the only thing left to do is find a way to replace the things he destroyed..."

[Sonitusia]

The lumberjack's ear perked up. "Library?" He instantly turned around, completely forgetting about what was going on around him, and ran off. The marines were about to stop him, but he just knocked them over like bowling pins. "Dear god, that man's quite the behemoth," George muttered, rubbing his forehead in slight pain as he had been knocked into the wall. The other two didn't fare so well, falling onto each other.

Standing up, the mustachioed man went up to the three students, and asked, "Anything we can... Help with?"

Morman stood from his seat on Charlotte's bed, dragging out his moment of triumph. "We really do appreciate your quick response, but once again Captain Robert Morman has pulled the platoon back from the brink with his quick thinking and immense courage." he boasted in an admittedly exaggerated, goofy 'hero' voice.

George rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "No, I believe you've sent the fool to a place that will no longer be safe. More like a traitor, if I do say so myself." He helped pull up Joey and Max, who swept the dust off their shoulders. "Alright boys, Morman here messed up and it looks like we're going to have to save the books. Move it!" The two saluted, and quickly dashed after the lumberjack, and George turned back to look at Morman. "You're going to assist us, are you not?"

[Lancearc]

Morman stood from his seat on Charlotte's bed, dragging out his moment of triumph. "We really do appreciate your quick response, but once again Captain Robert Morman has pulled the platoon back from the brink with his quick thinking and immense courage." he boasted in an admittedly exaggerated, goofy 'hero' voice.

George rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "No, I believe you've sent the fool to a place that will no longer be safe. More like a traitor, if I do say so myself." He helped pull up Joey and Max, who swept the dust off their shoulders. "Alright boys, Morman here messed up and it looks like we're going to have to save the books. Move it!" The two saluted, and quickly dashed after the lumberjack, and George turned back to look at Morman. "You're going to assist us, are you not?"

"As much as I'd like to reinforce you gentleman, the brass requested I returned to headquarters as soon as possible. The Japanese are expected to launch an assault more than eight years in the making, and they're asking for all the men they can get." Morman said apologetically. "I have full confidence in your swift success, however. A man with an axe shouldn't be any problem for United States marines."

[Sonitusia]

George's brow furrowed, and he didn't like the way this Morman fellow was taking this situation. "I don't care if General Foch himself is telling you to stand down, you're coming with us," he bellowed, grabbing the boy's arm and pulling him in the direction the other marines were going. "Now then, Mister Hero of Okinawa, you're a marine as well. If you can't clean up your own mess, then I'll have you court-martialed for not taking out the enemy beforehand."

The lumberjack had quickened his pace, hunting door to door for the coveted area with plenty of wood to cut down, the marines giving chase. The man's eyes widened as he saw his prey just through a small slit, and he raised his axe, cutting down the door to the library.

[Lancearc]

George's brow furrowed, and he didn't like the way this Morman fellow was taking this situation. "I don't care if General Foch himself is telling you to stand down, you're coming with us," he bellowed, grabbing the boy's arm and pulling him in the direction the other marines were going. "Now then, Mister Hero of Okinawa, you're a marine as well. If you can't clean up your own mess, then I'll have you court-martialed for not taking out the enemy beforehand."

The lumberjack had quickened his pace, hunting door to door for the coveted area with plenty of wood to cut down, the marines giving chase. The man's eyes widened as he saw his prey just through a small slit, and he raised his axe, cutting down the door to the library.

Morman was only allowed a quick backward glance of confusion and possibly regret at Charlotte as he was dragged out of the room against his will, though he refused to let the facade break. "Fine then! Seeing as how you can't handle this yourselves I'll gladly come along, a man with an axe doesn't stand any better a chance than an entire platoon wielding katanas!"

[Charlia]

George's brow furrowed, and he didn't like the way this Morman fellow was taking this situation. "I don't care if General Foch himself is telling you to stand down, you're coming with us," he bellowed, grabbing the boy's arm and pulling him in the direction the other marines were going. "Now then, Mister Hero of Okinawa, you're a marine as well. If you can't clean up your own mess, then I'll have you court-martialed for not taking out the enemy beforehand."

The lumberjack had quickened his pace, hunting door to door for the coveted area with plenty of wood to cut down, the marines giving chase. The man's eyes widened as he saw his prey just through a small slit, and he raised his axe, cutting down the door to the library.

Morman was only allowed a quick backward glance of confusion and possibly regret at Charlotte as he was dragged out of the room against his will, though he refused to let the facade break. "Fine then! Seeing as how you can't handle this yourselves I'll gladly come along, a man with an axe doesn't stand any better a chance than an entire platoon wielding katanas!"

Charlotte dashed after them--or at least, she started to, before feeling the tingling again. No, no, no! But it was too late. She cried out, arching her back as her wings literally erupted from her skin, and she began to bleed. Several blood-tipped feathers fell to the ground, and she collapsed, moaning in pain.