Petition! (Open)

[Exo-1 Stryker]

Stuck on the bulletin board on the boys dorm was a printed piece of paper reading :

"Petition to have Roach's mandatory shower intervals lowered to 2 days max. If we can get 25 signatures, maybe there is hope for us yet."

Below it there were plenty of lines for people to fill in their names, several were already scribbled on in blue and black ink.

The fourth or fifth name down reading "Sydney Walker" who decided to add "Laundry once a week too"

[Elijah Elliot]

Eli saw the petition and had to laugh. Poor, smelly Gramps. He wouldn't like this at all.

Oh well, he'd adjust.

With a slight flourish, "Elijah Elias Elliot" was added to the list. Next to it, he added "Sorry Gramps!".

[Roach Copeland]

Roach's attention was drawn to the paper hanging from the bulletin board due to the glances and laughter from Landon Nelson and his friends.

He had just been walking through the hallway, doing his best to dodge through the people while he crammed for his math quiz when he felt that sudden amusement fill the air. Thoughts- towards him. Inner quips concerning his hygiene. Smelly kid- What the hell?

Roach looked up from his book to find several boys just pointing and laughing his way.

Well, shit, that might be fine in Paragon but that shit doesn't fly in Etoile. So, Roach did what he normally would. He moved towards the group, slipping his book into his pack before flashing them an amused smile. "Let me guess- I cracked a joke a few days ago and you folks finally figured it out, eh?"

"Funny words, Roach. Almost as funny as you mandatory showering," Landon spat back as he slapped at the bulletin board. "Tell me, you feeling Zest fully clean?"

This, of course, brought on more laughter from the kids around him.

Roach fixed his jaw into place, turning his gaze towards the sheet of paper. Ah, so, apparently someone had decided to make a joke of that. He chewed on the inside of his mouth for a moment, pondering as more quips were tossed his way. His silence must have been golden because that just brought on more laughter from Landon and crew.

"I figured that smell had been coming from some corpse left over from the ghost attack," Landon spat back, finding strength in the silence. More laughter. "Cause, if you want, we can leash you up and scrub you down using one of those outside dog bathing poles."

Roach just continued to stare at the bulletin board, his face turning a touch red.

"Tell me, Roach, is that the natural cologne of Etoile? Cause perhaps you might consider-"

Roach snapped his head towards Landon, eyes narrowing. "Hey, Lands, you tell your blokes what your dad used to do to you in the basement?"

Landon's face went from absolute amusement to if he had just been suckered punched. His eyes bugged out, his mouth dropping open as he stared at Roach. Roach scrunched his brows together for dramatic effect before taking a step towards him.

"No? The lashes when he found out 'bout you bein' meta? Remember that? You cried a lot, Lads- Shit, what was that song that he'd play on the record player just to drown out your crying?" Roach asked as he approached, tapping his own lips as if to ponder. "God, shit, I don't know- Hell! I got a good memory, how 'bout that time he beat you so much, you pissed your-"

Landon's fist struck Roach a crossed the jaw sending him stumbling back into a group of students who had began to gather. It didn't take long for Roach to react, pushing away and running for Landon with his own fist clenched. He didn't get far, however, with the other boys in the hall grabbing at his shoulders. The same was being done to Landon.

"You better watch your back, Roach!" Landon called as he friends pulled him away.

"Jackie Wilson! That was the record, huh, Laddy!?" Roach yelled as a few of the boys dragged him further from the confrontation.

"You're a damn joke! You don't even know how to bathe! Go back to the Isles, Junkyard!"

"You're love! Liftin' me higher!" Roach sang as he was pulled around the corner, Landon's hollers being the last thing he heard.

[Diego Mendez]

Of the crowd of boys dragging Roach off, at least one of them was a familiar face. Diego had come out of his room just in time to see Landon throw the first punch, and hadn't even seen the petition that was the source of the teasing.

"Man, are you looking to get decked again?" he asked, exasperated as Roach sang his taunt at the other boy.

As the others left, Diego stayed behind. "What the hell was that about?"

[Roach Copeland]

Roach didn't like showing weakness in front of others. He liked to keep them on their toes concerning just how much pain the Roach could take before being out of the fight. So, he had to give himself props on holding it together as the other boys who pulled him away began to disperse.

All for Diego. Who got to see Roach sort of fall back against the wall and slide down, holding his jaw.

"Goin' to be honest, Dee... No one can say Land's ain't workin' out," he mumbled as he closed his eyes. Great stars. Just what he needed. "Apparently, someone put up a petition to get me bathin' more. God damn pricks."

He narrowed his eyes a bit before tossing a glance up towards the boy. "Did I win?"

[Diego Mendez]

Diego smirked. "Sad to say, but you didn't get a lick in. Not for lack of trying though."

The idea that someone would start a petition like that about Roach was funny...but seeing how much it upset him wasn't funny in the slightest. He had to wonder if the person who started it had any idea just how hurtful the joke was going to be. He sighed and crouched down in front of Roach, tilting his head to get a better look at his jaw.

"Need an ice pack, man?"

[Arthur Rawlings]

Employers had learned to look at the facebook page before offering someone a job. Ar had learned to look at their mom's. Mom facebook pages were a wellspring of priceless information, especially if they blogged. The best part? Most of them didn't even know privacy settings existed. The second best part? Pictures. The treasured memories mom found most precious almost always made the perfect ammo. If there was one thing Ar knew, it was that the right ammo for the right target made all the difference.

Take Gary, for instance. Gary was the first name on the petition. Did that mean Gary made it? Probably not. If Ar had done it, he'd have waited to sign it until third or fourth if at all. What it did mean was that Gary's past as a pageant baby was about to come back to haunt him. That's right, pageant baby. And pageant toddler. And pageant preschooler. Ar's bet was the only thing keeping Gary out of tiaras and in his football pads was the baby sister born a few months before his sixth birthday.

It was amazingly well documented for a dirty little secret. The photo on the flier Ar had in his hand was only one of the highlights of the album. It featured our little Gary in the full glory of his ringlet days, megawatt smile plastered on, makeup applied just thick enough to make it plainly obvious the boy was made up, sequined cowboy vest shimmering in the spotlight. So that there could be no mistake who the little six shooter was, Gary's full name appeared in bold print across the top. Across the bottom was a fringe of tear-away tags with a link to a particularly moving performance of "I Believe the Children Are the Future" by four-year-old Gary that was already being circulated around his social network.

Ar pinned his flier up next to the petition and circled Gary's name in red sharpie with an arrow pointing toward the picture just to be sure the connection was made. For a little added flair, he scribbled a small, stylized targeting reticule in the bottom corner of his latest masterpiece with the same red sharpie. He'd been thinking about adopting a calling card to leave at the scene of noteworthy acts of awesome.

"Sup," he greeted Roach and Diego casually on his way out. "Pro tip: Check your privacy settings on facebook."

[Roach Copeland]

He snorted, rolling his head to the side lazily before dropping his hand from his jawline. "Could have sworn I got somethin' in... Damn'it."

And with that, he held out a hand. He had math to do and what not, and he would be boned if Deathrage or some other authority stumbled upon him looking like he just gotten into another fight. "Help me up- Ice? Ah, no. I'm good."

And with that, he began climbing to his feet, with or without Diego's aide. He winced, closing his eyes to keep the world from spinning before finally taking another breath to calm his nerves. There. Balance back to the world. He looked towards Diego, smirking abit before shrugging. "I'm fine- Just... just sort of made me realize that I ain't Paragon. I'm Etoile. They think I stink now? Wait until I get my old gear back on."

He tossed a glance towards Ars, offering a lazy, two-fingered salute. "I know what that is.. it's that computer site thingy."

[Diego Mendez]

Diego helped Roach up. He couldn't help but grimace a bit at the idea Roach wearing gear that smelled any worse than the threads he normally wore. He kept the comment to himself though, figuring he didn't need to add insult to injury here. He glanced over as Ar pinned a flier next to the petition, and tossed out his casual little comment regarding privacy settings on Facebook. He strode over to the board...and just shook his head.

"Wow...remind me never to piss you off, Ar. I think your hygiene issues are going to be forgotten pretty quick, Roach..."

He motioned for Roach to come and take a look at Ar's handiwork.

[Taylor Brenton]

Taylor peered over Diego's shoulder at the picture and petition as she headed to Sydney's room to play a little Lost Planet2 before dinner. Awwwww! The picture made her smile, Gary was adorable when he was little! Still, it was an oddly random thing to have posted on the cork board. Maybe the guys were having some sort of 'cutest baby' contest. Maybe she'd start one in the girls' dorms. Beside the picture was a petition for Roach to shower more than once a week. She sort of felt bad for the boy raised over on the Isles, but at the same time, he *did* air his dirty laundry in public at the library. Literally. She cringed remembering the crusty brown sock he peeled off and threw on the table in front of the group that had gathered there that night, and near bragged about showering just once a week. It was hard to figure him out. Sometimes? He seemed to want to fit in, but then others, like that - maybe he was just trying to keep everyone at arm's length. Taylor shrugged it off in favor of some Cat-G fighting.

If Roach wanted to keep people at arm's length, not showering would probably work pretty well.