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Post by elise13 on Feb 20, 2013 12:42:22 GMT -10
Well, this was the best place I could think to put it. Let's go!  |
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Post by elise13 on Feb 20, 2013 12:42:49 GMT -10
Luke bounced his small rubber ball, which no one had bothered to take from him just yet. He was not really sure why. Perhaps they were afraid to take it from him. But the reality was they were probably too lazy. It was not as if he were a very imposing figure. Sure, he was tall (much to Jay’s chagrin- although the mere thought of his sister was not exactly welcome), but he was in no way frightening. He was still waiting for muscle mass to magically appear on his body. After all, he had been gassed and developed magic powers, why not get awesome muscles along with it? Luke caught the ball as it flew back from hitting the wall opposite him. He held the ball still. There was a slight rapping at the wall (of course there were no windows- far too risky). Someone to rescue him, he mused. Freedom? No, he decided, it was rain. No escape today.
The drops rapidly hit against the side of the building, it was really pouring. For once, he was glad to be in the facility, if only for shelter from the rain. Luke returned to his ball, the bouncing of the ball blending in nicely with the rhythmic thrumming of the rain. He pondered the origins of the ball. He knew it was from the garage shelf, where it had probably been abandoned at school’s beginning. But he could not fathom what had convinced him to grab it from the shelf. Well, all the better for him. It gave him something to do in the hours locked up. Breaks from the cell were brief and sparing. They usually had time to exercise in the courtyard, which was of course smack dab in the middle of the building. From the yard, the only view of the outside world was to look straight up and glance at the visible patch of sky. Exercise was never very exciting anyway. All the kids were too scared to talk very much during this time. Too much supervision, he supposed. As if one of them would fly off. Honestly, if anyone could fly, Luke was certain they would not have gotten themselves locked up in the facility in the first place. He wondered momentarily if Jay could fly. She would enjoy that and it would keep herself.
Luke forgot to catch the ball, so the object blurred past his hand, landing on the ground. He sighed. Luke heaved himself off the bed, picking the ball up off the ground. He started slightly, hearing footsteps approaching. Lunchtime already? Well, he might as well have some fun with the guard. He was feeling a bit irritated with his situation and it was always good to practice. Luke sat on the bed, bouncing his ball on the ground in front of him. With a slight furrow of his brows, he manipulated the light tap of the ball’s bounce into a massive boom of thunder. Luke chuckled quietly, hearing the guard’s squeal. He sat innocently on his cot when the man recovered to reach his door. The guard’s face was even pale. Perhaps he was afraid of thunder. Oh well, Luke thought. Serves him right for working with the Aristocrat scum.
The man mumbled, “Lunch. Get a move on.” Luke stashed his ball in his pocket, standing up at a leisurely pace. He waited a moment as the man hauled the cell door open to let him through. Thankfully, Luke had not been deemed quite troublesome enough to need an escort from one place to the next. Mind, the halls were carefully guarded- especially at lunch- with a guard around every corner.
Lunch was at least interesting, in Luke’s opinion. He had never felt much drive to make friends, but it was the one time the children were allowed to speak freely (within reason, of course). The younger children were even brazen enough to laugh on occasion. It was almost reminiscent of the school lunchroom. Well, mostly because it had been the school lunchroom, one of the few rooms preserved in nearly its original, disgusting glory. Even the stains on the floor were familiar. Luke walked into the lunchroom, filing into line for his food like an obedient little robot.
((Jay will be along shortly))
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Post by elise13 on Feb 20, 2013 12:53:41 GMT -10
Jay walked quickly along the abandoned streets. Everyone with half a grain of sense was inside avoiding the pelting downpour. That made this the perfect time to examine the nearest facility. She had been a bit reticent to set up shop within walking distance of one of those prisons, but the thought of hiding out so far away had been too much. Besides, they were relatively safe underground. So far, yet, she added silently, as if these mantras would protect them. Jay ducked her head, trying to keep the rain from fogging her vision. She wanted to be quick.
Jay spent nearly all of her free time making runs, sometimes alone, sometimes with others, to check out the building. It stood exactly where here high school had been. Depressing really. Luke had always teased that the school was like a prison, but now the imagined likeness was true. She could still remember it as it used to be. Jay remembered the rooms, no they were not fun then, but now they were welcome memories.
Classrooms full of kids with problems about their next paycheck or their newest English paper was a welcome idea compared to rooms full of kids being held captive on those very grounds. Now the building was a big gray box, bars over every window and bright lights everywhere. Not to mention the gigantic, tall barbed wire fence that was electrically charged. She could take care of that herself, but the lights would get them noticed right away. Then there was the matter of actually getting past the guards. Jay could take care of a few, but not many. A few of the other kids could help as well, but that would not get them all the way inside. Still, Jay did not want a single kid inside to get hurt in the slightest. The point would be completely lost if someone was hurt while being rescued. Besides, the kids were not exactly fighters. They were children, after all. No, there had to be a better way.
Luke. He had to be there. Or at least, she had to hope he was there, otherwise her journey could become impossibly long. Jay’s heart was in two over the thought of her brother locked up while she ran free. She could not imagine the poor kid locked up. What if he was suffering? And she was out here doing nothing!
Jay shook her head. Time. She had to be patient. She could not get herself all worked up worrying. She had enough to do without adding fretting to the list. A whole slew of kids relied on her to boss them around and until they were ready to do any serious butt-kicking, she would just have to wait. Jay glanced around. She had hung around in front of the building long enough. Jay did not want to be spotted as suspicious. There was no way she could even feign adulthood, not in her bedraggled state. At least the rain rinsed away some of the dirt, she thought.
Jay flicked her damp hair away from her eyes and plodded back towards the subway where she, along with a group of other kids, lived for the time being. The living conditions certainly weren’t the best, but they could hardly be terrible. In their time hiding away, kids had stolen blankets from nearby houses or shops, keeping everyone from freezing their toes off. They had food on a relatively regular basis, which took as a matter of personal pride. The oldest of the kids could pass as adults and purchase food for the group. That was really convenient. Jay just hoped no one got caught. The day the government thought of ID badges for all registered adults would be the end of them. Jay shivered, the rain was starting to get to her. She picked up her pace, quickly jogging to the hidden entrance. At least it was dry underground.
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Post by LycanHeart on Feb 20, 2013 13:25:02 GMT -10
Twenty. Twenty-one. Twenty-two. Trish counted the amount of security cameras as the guards marched her towards the dining hall. None of the guards had noticed her powers or what she can do, so she still has the element of surprise at her disposal, although she wonders what can she do with her powers. Can she transform her fingers into keys? Squeeze past doors? Become invisible? Can she also make someone else like her? She has not tried, ans to risk doing that would mean the guards would have seen her, and they might put her into a water bottle, cork her up and freeze the whole thing in liquid nitrogen. She shook her head violently, trying not to let her imagination run too wild. The guard behind her nudged her violently with his baton, as if warning and reminding her not to get any ideas.
When she arrived at the dining hall, she can already see some of the other kids were already there. Her eyes quickly scanned through the place. She had done that before, and she does it regularly to see if she can find more hidden cams. So far it had always remained at eight. Thirty-one cams from her cell to the dining hall, she thought. What about from the hall to the gates? She had not been able to count those, only the others that she had passed through, namely the dining hall, the corridors and the exercise hall, if one can call it a hall. After getting her platter of food of mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, baked beans and two slices of bread, she now looked around for a seat, somewhere where she can observe, but not with strangers. She suddenly felt lonely, and the image of a friend floated into her mind, causing her shoulders to drop slightly.
Kyosuke....
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The rain made poor cover for the teenager's powers. Well, it was not yet his turn to go out scouting for the moment, so it's good for him. The weather would expose him rather readily, so he would have to resort to only the usual hiding and watching. His white hoodie is already soiled and dirtied by the regular exposure to the grime and mud of his "jobs", the job of scouting, infiltrating and escaping. He makes it a habit to clean the hoodie regularly, though with the lack of detergent of any sort and a large body of clean water, the best he could do is just to prevent the grime and mud from forming cakes on them.
Kyosuke watched the skies through the grates of a man-hole, taking care not to be noticed by the passer-bys. The only other time he got to see the skies was when he was out scouting or infiltrating. He loved the outside, but he loved the inside darkness more. It makes him totally invisible. Makes his job easier.
He sat down on a step leading to the outside door that was barred and barricaded by the refugees in the tunnels, fiddling with his identification card, trying to remember his past. Nothing. Even meditation did nothing for him. What was gone? He had a hunch that he had forgotten something important, and not just one issue. Frustrated, he slipped the card back into his backpocket and walked to the center, where Jay and the others are. Perhaps they might have an answer to who he was. Wait, he had asked them, and they still did not have the answer. Perhaps the outside world may hold some of his memories then, if he could find them first.
When he reached the underground center, he looked around. The usual small chatter of kids and younger teenagers discussing, gossiping or even trying out their powers became the norm in the underground sanctuary. There was nothing for them to do here. Cable would be pointless, when one cannot just simply drain power from the countless wiring underground. Having some form of lighting is already comfort enough. Heaters, air-conditioners, fridges, those are luxuries that they cannot afford to obtain. Too cumbersome to carry, too much exposure. A few of them acknowledged his presence, but like even Jay, their leader of sorts, thought him just a weirdo, and usually let him be. Folding his arms, he leaned against the wall, his eyes transfixed at the entrance. It's about time Jay returned from her rounds.
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Post by smartblondie on Feb 20, 2013 13:29:35 GMT -10
/Blue eyes...scared...no, don't....run..run...run...shot..blood...no Damien nononoDamienNO-/
"Bwah!" Sydney jolted awake, having nodded off to the sound of peaceful rainfall. It was always a soothing noise. Except for the nightmare part. Jeez, talk about screwed up. Running a clammy hand across her face, to wipe the sheen of sweat that had broken out, she grimaced, scratched the cuff across her cheek. Stupid lousy hunk of junk. What was she, an animal? Whatever. Sydney scrambled off of her cot, pacing irritably. Stupid rain, making her sleepy and making the morning drag on and on. She hadn't seen anyone, well, no kids, all day really, and she was ready for-
"Lunch. C'mon, kid." a gruff voice barked from her cell door, and she managed to hide her surprise as disinterest. "Now." he prodded, taking a threatening step into her cell when she didn't move. Rolling her eyes rudely at him, she rubbed her sleepy eyes and scampered out into the hall. After a few...episodes...Sydney was to have an armed guard in case she got any funny ideas like flipping tables or anything else that was completely unlikely. On most occasions, she had this guy breathing down her neck. His name tag said Vincent, and Sydney entertained herself by calling him Vinny when she was in a stupid mood. Sometimes he was in a good mood and only shoved her in response. Judging by the miffed and somewhat shaken look on his face, like he'd seen a ghost, she figured that the weather was fraying his nerves and it wasn't a good idea. He pushed the big doors of the dining hall open, and the smell of dirty kids (the showers only worked so well) and gross food hit her nostrils. "Thanks, Vinny. See ya later." she said, unable to resist in parting. He glared darkly at her, but she scampered on her merry way before he could give a nice bruise.
"Syd!"
"Hi, Sydney."
"Look, Squid! Sorry, I meant Syd...heehee..."
The kids greeted her as they did, wanting attention they were lacking from parents. "Hi guys." she greeted in response, making tracks to the line, when a cherubic voice called out. "Sydney!" she turned, the first real smile of the day melting onto her face. "Cam! Hi, kiddo." she greeted, catching him up in her arms as he ran towards her, like a movie. They'd done this move so often, it was something out of a movie. The bunches of kids all giggled and Sydney carried/dragged Cam to the line, stomach growling as she smoothed his long hair. They stood behind a quiet guy, real tall, that she mildly recognized. Liam? Logan? Lars? Lllllluke. She finally got it, smiling proudly and easing Cam to the ground, giving a throaty chuckle. "Nice to see you too, squirt. Have a pleasant morning? Looks like our afternoon cattle herd grazing will be inside today. Rain is just bonkers." she said, rubbing her chin as the line hobbled forward. She was referring to the afternoon period where the kids were all tossed outside (or inside some big gym-room) for a few hours, for "exercise/fresh air". Like they really cared about their physical fitness. There was always one or two kids missing during these times, which probably meant they were being grilled about siblings or other stupid-
--
"Sydney? You're muttering again." Cam chirped, jolting her out of her daze. She seemed to do that a lot when she was thinking about the adults. "Yeah, at least we won't be thrown out in the rain..." he agreed, pushing on past her silliness, his hand wormed into hers, bringing a wry smile to her lips. "Clingy little thing, aren'tcha?" she joked, and he stuck his tongue out but didn't release his grip. He knew she was teasing. No one had filed in behind them, so Cam turned his attention to the tall guy-ahem, Luke-ahead of them. "Hi. Luke, right?" he said, not really worried about just invading someone else's quiet time. He knew just about everyone's names, after sorting through their thoughts and matching their mind voices to them, and then blocking them out for manners. "D'you know what they're serving today? Can't see." he asked, trying to climb onto his tiptoes but not getting much out of it.
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Post by elise13 on Feb 20, 2013 16:11:56 GMT -10
Some part of Luke was aware of people entering the lunchroom. Not aware enough to really pay attention, but a portion of his brain noted the increase in noise as a girl entered the room. She seemed vaguely familiar. Maybe he should have paid more attention to everyone. He had been hoping to be gone a bit quicker, but he only had himself to blame. After all, he had done nothing but blindly muse escape plans, not really brewing up anything plausible.
Luke was yanked from his reverie by someone saying his name. He glanced towards the source of the noise, at first only able to identify the girl as the possible source. But that seemed wrong. Luke looked down slightly, now noticing a young boy tip-toeing to see what was being served. Luke didn’t know why the kid didn’t just ask his female companion for the answer, but did not want to comment and offend the poor child. Although, Luke did not even know who this kid was. How did the boy know his name? Luke did not recall ever sharing it. Well, perhaps he had. Luke confirmed his name with a nod. One question down. One more to go. Luke returned his gaze to the food being offered, sliding forward a place in line as people were served. He answered, “I think it’s ham…mashed potatoes...and, um.” Luke paused a moment glancing quizzically at the third item. He added, “Those’re green beans. Strike that peas in a pod.” Luke was fairly certain the food they ate here was from the exact same source as the high school. On the bright side, it was familiar. On the downside, it still was not that great and a bit hard to identify. Well, they did get fed, so perhaps he should not complain. Luke slid along another spot, offering up his tray to get food. Luke debated commenting on the youth’s knowledge base. After a bit more thought, he was certain he had never introduced himself to this kid. Luke hardly talked to anyone, so he could at least recall who he had spoken to. Luke was a bit concerned as to how the child knew his name. Although, it really was not a big deal. It was something Jay might have created into a conspiracy. Luke sincerely doubted that the child was some sort of spy set up by the Aristocrats to corner him into confessing something. No, that was highly unlikely. Luke was the prime example of good behavior. He had not gotten up to anything just yet, stepped in line like a good lamb. Well, he had been a little nonresponsive about the questions they’d asked. But mostly because he had not been eager to give them the satisfaction of answers, not because he knew anything particularly interesting. Luke wished he could do more than just be difficult during interviews.
But that still left the matter of the boy. Luke was fairly certain he was, in fact, an innocent child. Now he was just curious about the matter. He queried, “Do I know you, though?”
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2013 16:16:19 GMT -10
Irina had dreamed of Swan Lake last night. She had always dreamed of it, just in the sense that it was her dream to perform in the show, to be known from New York to London to Moscow as the most beautiful and delicate dancer to ever be Odette and the most seductive and compelling Odile. She had starred in smaller productions of the show at local theatres, been in the background of larger ones at larger theatres. But she wasn't the star. So now she dreamed in the literal sense, in her sleep she wasn't dancing on the streets as she did in real life in an old blouse scuffed leather boots but on a stage with thousands watching live in a white feathered outfit with ballet shoes. Her dream now was gone. She knew that. She hated that.
She woke up, shaking violently. She was cold a lot. Somebody had remarked to her that bodies required the insulation of fat, or at least more muscle (the same person also went on a rant about how it was rude to reject food, they were lucky that they had enough, so she decided to ignore them). Irina couldn't remember who it was, and she couldn't care less. She didn't have to listen to them. She didn't want the insulation. "Ballerinas aren't fat," she said aloud to herself. A couple people seemed to have heard. The heat of their questioning gazes panicked Irina, she had to leave.
She scurried towards the exit. It was too close for comfort, too close to these blasted people she had to be with for survival. She needed a break. To be outside. Irina was afraid, afraid that they hated her and wanted her to go away. Maybe they'd abandon her. She was afraid. As she thought and walked, she didn't notice Jay returning from her rounds, continuing with long strides. Until she slammed into her.
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Post by LycanHeart on Feb 20, 2013 16:34:15 GMT -10
Trish glanced at the source of the loud commotion. It was that girl again. Syd, as the others called her. Trish rarely relate herself to such stereotypical socialization, preferring the comfort of her own world. As she moved around finding a spot to eat, she came to an isolated corner and sat down with her food, digging in slowly while watching around, observing. While she as doing that, she somehow could not take her eyes off as a little boy and Syd exhibited something from a movie, running and hugging each other like some lovey-dovey movie scene. Her thin lip curved into a quick smile as she imagined how funny it would look in reality, but then realized that it really is one. Her eyes followed the gaze of the pair as they lined up to get their lunch, and then striking conversation with a guy in front of them. Do they all know each other? Trish certainly made no efforts to know or socialize, thinking it would be futile if the people are thinking of butchering them or dissecting them later for analysis.
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Kyosuke's long line of thoughts were broken when a frail teenage girl, Irina, said something aloud and scampered towards the exit, only to run in straight at the returning Jay. Kyosuke thought he should have done something, but what, he did not know. He just stayed that way, his eyes fixed onto the two girls, his face that of an emotionless mask. "Ballerinas aren't fat," he thought again, Irina's words cycling in his mind. Why did she say that? What made her say it out? He could not understand, but he just stood there watching the two girls, his mind now an empty thought.
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Post by elise13 on Feb 20, 2013 16:54:32 GMT -10
Jay shook her head, water flying off her hair. She was glad for the relief from the rain. Jay peeled off her soaked sweatshirt as well, not wanting even more wet clothes on her. She debated about her shoes as well, but that would force her to walk on the cold cement with no shoes. No. Soggy sneakers were worth it. Jay continued on, her sweatshirt tossed over her arm.
Jay made her way back to the center of the subway, where all the kids were. They had thought it the safest place, farthest from all the exits. Although, that also made escape take longer. Hopefully, they would never have to see that scenario play out. Maybe some other nation would put a check on this radical American group. Where was the United Nations when they were needed? Probably improving African cities or negotiating disarmament. Why go after a real issue?
Before Jay had the chance to arrive, she was assaulted. She rubbed her head with one hand, balling her other fist to defend herself. Then she saw her attacker was just Irina, the really tiny girl who always looked ready to break. Jay huffed, apologizing half-heartedly, “Sorry. Where’re you going, Irina. It’s really freaking raining. I’m soaked through.” Jay picked up her sweatshirt, which she had dropped on the ground in her readiness to attack. Maybe she was a bit paranoid. She looked at the girl’s face. She didn’t seem quite well. Was she sick? Jay could only hope not. For Irina’s sake and everyone else’s. An illness would spread like wildfire.
Jay glanced around. That kid. What was he doing here? That kid who always asked if they knew him. The answer was always no. No one seemed to recognize him. She was not sure how that was. It was highly unlikely not a one of them would have had a class with him. Odd. Well, no matter, he was still hanging around. Jay could not even remember if he had mentioned his name. Probably not. Well, the real question was, why was he here now? Had he been chasing poor Irina? Jay raised a brow as her only response to his presence.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2013 17:34:16 GMT -10
Irina let out a yelp as she collided into Jay, her small frame knocked back about a foot in one second before she was able to catch herself. One who was trained to dance on their tiptoes typically had good balance. "I'm sorry! So sorry!" she said, her voice, already fairly soft and girlish, higher in her nervousness. She glanced up at Jay - she glanced up at most people, she was usually the shortest around - and answered her questions carefully. Jay intimidated her. Girls usually were competitive, and competition means knocking people down and Irina was afraid of being knocked down. "I was... I wanted to stand in the rain. Or maybe dance in it." The talk of dancing made the corner of her lips twitch up, just for a second. "Rain reminds me of the scene in Swan Lake when Odette and Siegfried die together. It's so sad, but so romantic. Rain is sad, my mom used to say it's God's tears. But it's so beautiful." She turned red once she heard herself. She probably sounded stupid. "That probably sounded stupid. I'm sorry," Irina said. She looked at the other girl again. She really was soaked. "Um. I can... I... do you want a change of clothes?"
She glanced around to see if anybody had left a sweater or something out, briefly making eye contact with Kyosuke. She shrank back from him, a little closer to Jay. He scared her, too. She had wondered before if he was like her, just shy or maybe insecure or sad. But something was different. Something eerie. So she didn't ask. "Hello," she said very softly to him, waving her fingers.
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Post by LycanHeart on Feb 20, 2013 17:44:18 GMT -10
Kyosuke's gaze fixed onto Irina who seemed to be acknowledging his presence there. Not exactly sure what to say, he raised his hand and waved gently. Seeing her timid seemed to have flipped a switch in his heart, but what? Did he do the same thing before to someone? Who was it? Someone close to him? Who was it?
Realizing that Jay was soaked, Kyosuke took off his jacket and offered it to Jay, his eyes as emotionless as before. He felt it was right to do it, and yet it felt familiar. He then casted his gaze at the younger girl, Irina, closer than before. She looked pale, though Kyosuke could be sure that it was not of an illness, just probably her natural skin color. Then again, he wasn't sure. He saw her fear, insecurity, paranoia towards him, and decided against staring at her for long. He shifted his gaze at Jay, her wet locks and skin-hugging wet clothes. "Get changed," his cracked voice whispered in her ears. "You'll catch a cold," he added as he walked back to the wall and leaned against it, his eyes just watching them both again. He just couldn't find anything better to do, or anything better to say. He wasn't sure himself.
Was he ever this unsure?
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Post by elise13 on Feb 21, 2013 9:41:46 GMT -10
Jay shook her head slightly in response to the girl’s apology. Sure, it was definitely the girl’s fault for the collision. Although, maybe it was wrong to say that. Jay hadn’t exactly gotten out of the way either. Either way, she was not about to continue this parade of apologies.
And then the girl started talking about ballet. Something about rain in Swan Lake. Well, Jay had never even seen a ballet. So she would just have to take the girl’s word for it. Jay shook her head again, “It’s fine. Makes sense.” She thought it made sense, though she was not exactly sure.
Before she could provide any more life advice about the rain, she was offered a change of clothes by Irina and a jacket by Kyosuke. Well, she really must look a bit worse than she had imagined. Both of them were rushing to clothe her. Jay pushed the jacket back at Kyosuke, with maybe a little more force than necessary, “It’s fine.” She looked at Irina, “I’m fine. Really, quit worrying about it.” Both of them! Trying to mother hen her! Well, she did not need either of them telling her when to dry off. Honestly, did they think she was twelve years old?
Jay ran a hand through her hair, not sure what to do with the pair of them. Surely, they were old enough to take care of themselves. They were acting a bit odd, but did that really need to be her problem when she was sopping wet? Jay declared, “Well, I’m going to go back to the kids….you two do whatever you want. I mean, preferably not going outside and getting caught, so be careful.” With that, she returned to her path before the collision and headed back towards the group.
Jay arrived, seeing the group. No one seemed to be under duress, that was a good sign. The youngest group of kids was playing a game of tag, constantly being shushed by the slightly older kids. The ages of the kids ranged from six to seventeen. Thankfully, no one had thought to attack the local preschool or there would be toddlers shooting fireballs down there as well. For the wide ages they did have, fighting was kept at a minimum. She was grateful for how well they got on. There were only a few siblings and, as long as they were kept occupied, they did not fight too often. Jay could not imagine handling sibling battles on top of the regular tension from living together.
Jay laid her sweatshirt out to dry next to her backpack. There were a lot of backpacks. After all, everyone had been it school, packs on their backs. When the gassing happened, most everyone able cleared out with their backpacks. That was useful. Though there was a pile of textbooks that no one wanted to acknowledge. As it got colder, they might burn them for warmth or something. She had yet to puzzle out that part of the future.
Jay did a mental headcount of the kids, pulling a notebook out of her backpack. She scanned the list, everyone seemed to be there, excepting those out fetching supplies and the two she had just run into. That was convenient. It was always a good day when everyone was actually where they were supposed to be. Thankfully, they had not lost any kids just yet. They could only hope to continue to be so lucky.
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Post by smartblondie on Feb 21, 2013 10:18:49 GMT -10
Cam wrinkled his nose as he listened to the answer Luke gave, noticing his puzzled look but not acknowledging it. "Gross, I hate vegetables. Especially the ones here." he complained, pretending to gag. Sydney was looking at him quizzically as well, with a little bit of annoyance on her face too.
"Hey, why didn't you ask me, twerp?" she asked, leaning around to see the line shlump forward and the entrees grew closer. He smiled nervously and rubbed his head.
"I wanted to let him into a conversation. He looked lonely." Cam said simply, shrugging. Sydney gave an apologetic look to Luke, but before she could say anything, the young boy continued. "And you always make the food sound even worse than it already is with your descriptions, and it ruins my appetite." he said simply, bringing Sydney's eyebrows up high as she regarded him. She made a pouty face at him, slightly miffed, but turned back to the boy who'd been roped into conversation when he spoke up again.
--
/"Do I know you, though?"/ Sydney frowned as she slid up and offered her tray behind Luke, and gave a suspicious look to the wide-eyed innocence of Cam as he tottered on after them. He blushed red, and she leveled her glance. "Cam..." she began in a scolding tone, but he cut her off.
"S-sorry! I didn't mean, I mean, I wasn't, it just..." he stammered, trying to explain his thought invasion. Sydney knew he was a good kid, but he needed to learn that privacy was privacy. He looked embarrassed enough, being called on knowing something he shouldn't. She admittedly knew Luke's name, after wracking her mind, but she had a sharp memory and the drive when they'd been locked up to try and learn all names. In any case, she couldn't just shout out that Cam had mind powers near these adults, since she worried they'd pass the information along and the higher-ups would try and misuse his power to control and know everything.
"He..uh, just has a talent of hearing things even if they aren't really said." she hedged as the serving woman walked back further into the kitchen to get another can of beans or peas or whatever that nasty slop was. "Sorry," she apologized, making a face at Cam, "he hears a little more than the average kid. You know, freaky power thing? Mind reading." she explained quickly, in hushed tones.
Cam smiled up at them, innocent and looking like any normal, forgivable kid. Hell, he was. Sydney gave him a wry smile and he beamed. "Sorry, Luke! I didn't mean to, I mean, I wasn't nosing into anything, I just kinda feel names and stuff..." he tried to explain, realizing that it was hard to put into words what he felt in his brain. Oh well. Sydney scanned the throngs of kids sitting around big tables, her usual cursory worried looks that seemed to be something she'd inherited from her mother. Wasn't she a little young for this? Ugh.
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Mischief Managed!
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Aug 31, 2022 13:10:16 GMT -10
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Post by elise13 on Feb 21, 2013 11:07:00 GMT -10
Luke smirked slightly as the child complained about vegetables. He remembered being young and having an aversion to vegetables. Of course, he had always had a mother forcing him to eat them. He must have gotten used to them for now he ate them with no problem. Did he outgrow it? Come to think of it, he could not really remember? Well, either way, all of them were going to eat these vegetables or go hungry. Personally, he really hated being hungry, so he would eat just about everything that came his way.
Luke looked away while the pair of them had a conversation relating to the matters of vegetables and mothering. He overheard that he had been invited to the conversation because he looked lonely. Was he that pathetic? He needed a kid, no more than ten he guessed, to make conversation with. Luke did not consider himself pathetic. Just observant. And reserved. And there was nothing wrong with that! Perhaps he had never really noticed because Jay had always been making enough conversation for the both of them.
The woman kept his tray for much longer than he would have liked, walking off to get another tray of the green vegetables. Good thing he was not in a hurry.
Luke raised his brows slightly as the conversation returned to the matter of the young boy. Apparently, it horrified the pair of them to have been caught knowing his name. Although, he was not exactly sure why that was such a horrendous thought to them. Then everything became abundantly clear. The kid was a mind-reader. Well, that was interesting! Luke nodded. At least the kid was not a spy. Mind-reader, but not a spy. He felt a little bad for the child. No kid could be expected to be responsible with the ability to read minds. Luke felt even he could not be trusted with mind-reading. He glanced at the kid- Cam- who was now apologizing for reading his mind. Luke shrugged, “As long as you weren’t snooping, I suppose. Not like you asked for it.” He straightened up as the woman returned; it seemed he had leaned down slightly to accommodate for the lowness of the conversation. Ha, he chuckled to himself. Lowness. Volume and the height of his interlocutors. That was hilarious. Luke had never been particularly good at puns, but that was very good.
The woman handed him back his tray, complete with a plate full of food. Lovely. He took the tray, stepping to the side to wait for the other two to get their food. That was as close as he was going to get to asking them to stay with him. He was curious now. And he had nowhere else to sit, so he might as well sit with these two. At least they were interesting.
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"Put that thing back where it came from or so help me!"
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Dec 5, 2020 9:20:08 GMT -10
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Marquis (Marquise)
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Post by smartblondie on Feb 21, 2013 13:19:32 GMT -10
Cam flushed brighter red, feeling like a little baby, but kept a thankful look on his face. "Thanks. I try to be polite, 'cuz Sydney says it's not nice to listen in on people's thoughts, but it's hard, yanno?" he said gratefully, as the woman finally returned with Luke's tray. The three fell quiet for a bit, Luke stepping away but not leaving them. He was waiting? Ha! Cam beamed up at Sydney, who was giving him an amused look as the woman slopped some sort of poison on her tray. He knew she worried about him being bothersome, but this sure proved that Luke wasn't bothered by Cam at all, didn't it? Sydney moved on and paused with Luke as Cam got his food, which wasn't anything special to him. He could only imagine what Sydney was thinking of it, though. She was a bit opinionated with these things, but he didn't know why. She wasn't snooty at all. If any one of the kids had made it, she'd have assured them it looked delicious and tasted better, even if it didn't. Why did she act this way? Cam would guess it was because she hated the Aristocrats, and all those affiliated with them. She had a lot of anger inside of her. Cam had felt that when they'd first met. A lot of strength too, though. And she was amazing, he'd feel that way whether he could read her thoughts or not. He just wished she could be happy. He had calmed her down with his powers before, but not too much, just when she got reckless and he was scared for her. As he took back his tray, he curiously felt the edges of Luke's being. Just an idea of what he was like. Hopeful? Calm, unusually so, for someone trapped here. But he was an older kid, so it made sense. Sydney was a special case, maybe. "Oh, let's sit down, kay? I'm starved." he said, walking over to them and pulling himself back to the normal, boring world.
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Sydney smiled tiredly at Cam as he came to them with his food, and nodded. "Sure thing, kiddo. Don't think you can get away with not eating those veggies too, by the way. You just said you were hungry." she chided, winking at the boy. His face fell slightly, but he nodded grudgingly. "Good. Ahh..wow. Talk about being late to lunch, eh? Rain must've made my blockhead hand-holder slower, I usually get to lunch early." she murmured, not seeing many optimal places to sit. The kids liked making room for her and Cam, but she didn't like eating with lots of little ones. They were messy, and while she could help clean some up...sometimes she needed to eat in peace. "Over there." she directed, marching on to an emptier corner.
A girl sat at one of the round tables, with empty seats all around her. Probably wanted space. Some of the teenager/tweens wanted that. Whatever. Sydney nodded a brief greeting, and made the decision to sit across from her, so not to encroach on her space. "Afternoon. Don't mean to intrude, but we saw the spaces." she said in some explanation. Cam bounded over to her left side, grinning at the loner girl and climbing into the seat, between the younger girl and Sydney. Sydney gestured to the seat beside her expectantly, telling Luke to sit his butt down and get comfortable. "Little quieter over here, but that's pretty nice." she said simply, the murmurs of kids in the background comforting but not overwhelming. "So, I guess we know your name, but we haven't actually been introduced, huh? I'm Sydney, as I'm sure you've gathered, and this is Cam." she said, nodding to the boy beside her who was digging into his potatoes. "He's a pretty special kid." she admitted wryly, rolling her eyes teasingly at Cam's grin when she said it. "Though...aren't we all?" she waggled her eyebrows. "This place is crawling with would-be circus performers." she joked, eating her food at a more calm pace than the little one beside her. "Anyway I-"
"S-Sydney." Cam interrupted her deftly, saying her name in that urgent voice that brought prickles to her neck.
"What? What is it now?" she asked in a low voice, exhaustion and concern coloring her freckled face. Cam looked behind them, back towards the doors, and it was then that the girl crying echoed around the room. A small, tiny really, girl, maybe 6 or 7 at most, with short, curly dark hair and olive skin was trembling before a big guard, who looked murderous. Green beans/peas/cat food was slopped over his crisp pants and boots. "Crap."
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