Zumberge

Joseph sighed as he listlessly clicked through another page of images, head propped up on his hand as he leaned on the desk.  The silence and privacy of the dormitory during the weekends left him with ample time to himself, though recently this was often spent on the computer for lack of anything better to do.  It wasn't that he didn't like the quiet - it beat being woken up at 3 AM by his dorm mates stumbling in - but rather that the quiet and solitude began to emphasize more and more just how alone he was.

She strode barefoot across the sands, wavy black hair blowing in the wind behind her.  Tall, tanned, and athletic, her red one-piece swimsuit hugged her form, leaving nothing to the imagination.  It was a clear day, and the beach had more than a few visitors, some of whom had noticed her arrival.  She knew she would attract attention - and even more, soon enough - though she paid it no mind.  What others thought, or would think, was of no concern to her.

Tania eyed the two-liter bottle of diet soda in her hands nervously. "Do I really have to do this?"

"'fraid so," Claire said, breaking open a fifth roll of Mentos. "New pledges have to be initiated.  Them's the rules." She dumped the contents into the blender before tossing the paper aside and opening another roll.  "Honestly, you're getting off easy."

The blonde glanced down at the second two-liter bottle by her feet. "Are you sure?"

The gentleman leaned back in his chair, staring intently at the paper in front of him as he attempted to decipher the meaning of the patterns it bore. It was a puzzle that had eluded him for far too long, but after careful consideration and study he felt he understood it enough to try his hand at deciphering it.

"Oh, I see," he muttered. "If the one goes here..." He entered a "1" in one of the boxes on the paper. "...then the seven would go... here. I think I'm starting to get the hang of this."