<div class="floatright">(https://i.imgur.com/CbThKQ5.jpg)</div><hr/><strong>Location</strong>: Nevermore Lunchroom<br/><strong>Tagging</strong>: Tara, OPEN<hr/>Nyx was buzzing with insane energy when they bounced into the lunchroom. They clutched a book to their chest like they were trying to shove the words into themselves phsyically. A swooning, fluttering energy filled their chest. There was absolutely nothing like a new book except maybe an old friend. They pulled the book a few inches from their chest and grinned down at the cover. Battered, bruised, and broken in places: the book had been handed down and handed out to Nevermore students for decades. They hugged it again and squee'd. A few faces looked up from nearby tables curiously. Blushing, their hair suddenly grew long enough to cover their face and they were forced to tuck a bit behind their ear. They hunched their choulders and scurried to the line.<br/><br/>An apple, a bag of chips, and a cold sandwich later saw them staring out at the sea of heads and swarm of tables rippling just below the surface. The existential horror of being a teenager overwhelmed them for a moment before they shrugged and moved toward a nearby empty table. Inspecting the surface, they saw what would be expected of a fancy, private high school. A good, real-wood table not some plastic replica. And yet, still scratched, written upon, and marred as only those with no sense of ownership or destructive impulsives could. Sitting at the dark brown thing, they set out their meal then grabbed their tumbler from their school bag to complete the set. Carefully, they unwrapped the sandwich and sniffed the egg salad experimentally before cracking the chips and popping a salty morsel into their mouth. Slowly, they peeled the top of the sandwich open then began to lay the crispy, salty treats across the top. Smirking, the replaced the lid and then smashed it down. The satisfying crispy-crunching of the chips met their ears and summoned a beaming grin. Eagerly, they picked up the altered sandwich and took a bite.<br/><br/>Their eyes rolled up into their sockets as their mouth worked the food. A pleasant, humming sound erupted and they quickly took the tumbler and swallowed some water to clear the deck for another bite. And another. Then, momentarily sated, they grabbed their new prize and beamed down at it,<strong>"Oh, you~~ Who's going to get read so hard? You are! Yes, you are~"</strong>They squealed a bit then tucked the still longer pink, now curly, hair behind an ear again with a frown. They slowly traced each letter with a finger: M-A-R-Y-S-H-E-L-L-E-Y. What luck that the freshman lit prof would assing such a classic? Squealing yet again, they picked up their sandwich and carefully opened to the first page:<strong>"You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings."</strong>They read the words slowly out loud savoring each syllable and digesting the tone, pace, color. Taking another bite of their sandiwch and popping in a couple more chips for good measure. They drank from their tumbler out the side of their mouth so as to not tear their eyes from the page,<strong>"I arrived here yesterday, and my first task is to assure my dear sister of my welfare and increasing confidence in the success of my undertaking."</strong>Nyx was intoxicated, entraced, and oblivious to the frustrated stares as they started reading Frankenstein out loud to themselves.