Her eyes shone with a fervor, determination and steel. The life of a Scythe wasn't what Juniper had dreamed of in her childhood days - there was far too much violence and grief for her liking - but she took pride in her work and the good that they managed to do. "We all have our own demons." Her heart went out to him, the sweet boy with his charming words and tragic memories. "I hope yours make you better to. You know what they say, cheesy at is, the climb makes us stronger."<br/><br/>Foolish girl who knew nothing of the impending darkness.<br/><br/>When he agreed to her proposition of a date, she smiled, all white teeth and apparent joy. It had been a long time since she'd gone out on one, in a way, it almost made her feel normal. It was refreshing, pleasant. "Hah, you wish, Kuram. If you're trying to win a smooch on the first date, you better make sure it ends up being extraordinary." Not true. Just talking about the Scythes and things she could tell no one else (aside from Klause and Sera) made her feel closer to him. She couldn't deny the attraction, and could already picture herself kissing him on the cheek for the wonderful afternoon of berries and monster talk.<br/><br/>"It wasn't good. Was walking home from school when I ran into it. If it weren't for Klause, I probably wouldn't be here. I didn't join the Syndicate until a month later. " She paused, sucking on her teeth. It hadn't been a pleasant memory. The thing had leaped out of her from the bushes and snagged at her arm with its claws. She had to get five stitches on her arm. It had been a long night in the ER, and the lies she had to tell. "The next time was better, Clause and Sera were there. They kept tabs on me, made sure I wasn't dealing with too much all at once. What about you, Kuram? Must have been different growing up in a household of Scythes?"<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center">*<br/>​</div>In the alleyway outside something was stirring just out of sight. As students and people rushed across campus, dark tendrils slithered out from the drainage down the street. The tendrils pooled out into the alley until a puddle of black ooze appeared. Slowly, the dark substance began to take form.<br/><div style="text-align: center">​</div>