A Zoo in the Fog (PersonaxZoophobia)

The Rain That Brings Fog

            Jackson went about his morning routine as per usual. He started with breakfast and this day he accidentally burnt himself while preparing something. Suppose he could thank the luck for that. He went on to put some ointment on it and brush his teeth before finishing up and heading out to get to school. Last night's dream kept playing over and over in his head. The Velvet Room, Igor, the imminent danger, it was all too precise just to be a dream. But Jackson tried to push it aside. He arrived to where the bus would normally stop, only for the sky to start pouring rain almost immediately. He sighed as his bag, and himself got drenched in the rain. It wasn't until someone brought an umbrella over him that he had a chance to dry off. When he looked to who saved him from the rain, he would see his best friend Zill.

"Honestly, you should just always be prepared for this." Zill smiled a bit, keeping the umbrella up as they waited. Jackson never knew what Zill was, so he just shrugged it off, but he was always calmer, and happier around him.

Jackson managed to dry himself off the best he could and gave a little smile back. "With my luck, you and I both know that lightning would just strike the umbrella." Zill just shrugged and wrapped an arm around his friend, patting his back as they both waited for the bus. It would soon arrive and they both got on.

The bus ride was uneventful. Zill could technically fly to school, but Jackson would be left alone and against only his luck. And Zill knew that was a poor choice. It wasn't like Jackson would trust himself with owning a car either. He crashed his bike more than once and that wouldn't translate well to cars. The whole ride to school, Jackson debated with himself. Would he tell Zill about the dream? About this incoming threat? Should he just pass it off as a dream?

Before Jackson could open his mouth to say a single word, a student piped up in front of them. "Dude, I saw my soul mate!" The deep sounding "bro" voice didn't sit too well with Jackson or Zill. It also didn't help that his voice almost overshadowed all others in the bus.

"Keep it down!" The student sitting next to the loud jock put his hand on the other's arm. "And why do you even believe in this stuff? It's an urban legend."

The jock would continue to talk about it though. "I didn't get a look at their face, the screen was too staticy but they had a smoking bod!"

The friend would just sigh and say, "You were probably just watching some celebrity news... all they show off is the bodies of the star." Pretty much everyone was passing around this rumor now. That this jock was being a little pathetic and thought a movie star was his soulmate, but it collided with another rumor floating about the school. That if one looks into the television screen at midnight on a rainy night, that they would see their soulmate. It was hard to not hear about it. Even when Jackson and Zill arrived at the school. Jackson didn't enjoy rumors, but they were unavoidable in a school full of teenagers.

Though it wouldn't be long until Jackson was tackled to the ground by something red and fluffy. He knew at an instant it was his cousin. "Hah! I win!" Damian proclaims boldly.

"What are you winning and why does it involve tackling me to the ground?" Jackson groans as he rubs the back of his head.

"Oh, it's a bet I made with Rusty. As to who would tackle you first today." Damian just snickered softly. Despite getting a headache when his cousin came around, Jackson would honestly prefer being tackled by a little fluff ball like Damian opposed to a tough guy like Rusty. "I'm gonna go collect my prize. See ya at lunch cuz!" Damian then floated off to class.