Lifting Etiquette - A Swindler's Guide to Life

[Odion Martins]

The Top Twenty

1 – Give out one fake name.

2 – Stick to the shadows.

3 – Never trust another thief.

4 – Trust no one.

5 – Stick to what you’re good at.

6 – Steal what you want, not what you need.

7 – Work for no one but yourself.

8 – Keep track of your lies.

9 – Make alliances, not friendships.

10 – Keep your enemies close.

11 – Be charming/deceptive/manipulative.

12 – Know when to call it a quits.

13 – Pay attention to detail.

14 – Run. Fast.

15 – Use your powers if you have them.

16 – Hide your every weakness.

17 – Words over fists unless absolutely necessary.

18 – Wear appropriate clothing for different jobs.

19 – Rest and recuperate.

20 – Don’t get caught.

-Prince Charming-

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[Odion Martins]

1 – Give Out One Fake Name

No one should know who you really are, and yet, everyone should have the same reference point. While it might seem like a good idea to go by a different name, depending on who you’re with or the situation at large, this is a stupid idea and if you follow through, do not become or be a thief. If you associate with anyone, it has to be for a purpose, and for simplicity’s sake, they’ll want to call you by something. This does not mean using your last name.

For instance, if your name is Sherman Blocks, do not say your name is Blocks. This is stupid and unbelievable. Think of this as the one time you get to pick what other people should call you. Really, they won’t know what your real name is, so have fun with this. It should be something memorable, but not too memorable, like Ferrari. It’s not what the name is, as much as how you say and believe it. Pick one name, and hand it out to everyone. Become that name, sell the name.

If, for some reason, your true name gets out and is completely unavoidable, try and convince people that that is not your real name. A true con artist can do this. If kept up long enough, people will start to remember the name you want them to. So why is it so important to hide your true name? Well, legal purposes first of all. It’s quite difficult to catch someone who doesn’t exist, and if people are giving police the wrong name for the right face, it’s still the wrong face in the end. It’s a better advantage over everyone.

If there is something distinguishing about you, perhaps a scar or tattoo, make sure it’s covered. This cannot be associated to your name. However, if you do plan on leaving your current place of residency, and want to make an impression, then by all means dye your hair pink and call yourself Candy while they interview you for being quite the stunning pickpocket. When you disappear to your normal brunette existence, no one will know you’re really Becky and have been assisting the English professor this whole time.

Also, this name should appear on as many legal documents as possible without too much suspicion. You’ll need fake ID’s anyways, they may as well have your pseudonym on them. And don’t get any cute ideas, something simple will do. Blend in, be smart. One fake name.

-Prince Charming-

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[Odion Martins]

[Odion Martins]

2 – Stick To The Shadows

This is key if you don’t want to get caught, and when you’re stealing things this is something you really need to think about.

An obstacle to this rule is having a power that sticks out like a sore thumb. If you have an eight foot wing span and plan on stealing something from the neighbouring museum, you might not want to quit your day job. Swindling is not for the faint of heart or for those who are clumsy on their feet or have long protrusions. If you have something that people can remember you by or which makes you stand out, this is not for you. Although said wings could get you out of a tight spot fairly quickly, you won't ever be able to steal again without people knowing who you are.

This also goes for personalities. If you: are bubbly, happy, smile a lot, outgoing, like to make lots of friends, talk excessively, forget what you say to others, pester people, enjoy the spotlight, or anything combination of the sort, it would be wise to leave the lifting to the professionals. (This list is not all inclusive and there may be other personality traits one needs to consider before starting up). The only way this kind of vendetta works is if you are the ultimate schemer, the best master planner. This would entail fooling everyone into thinking you’re a great person and easy to get along with, only to prove them dead wrong in the end. It’s like playing Hearts and Shooting the Moon – also not for the faint of heart.

But it would be best to just be quiet, remain relatively unknown, and be able to escape back into hiding at any given moment without anyone knowing the wiser. Someone who is quiet, reserved or shy, soft spoken, a good listener, has much patience, and has little to no friends would be perfect for the job.

If you cannot remain in the shadows and still plan on going through with things, or have to step into the light to get the job done, perhaps the best thing to do after that is to plan on how to get back into the shadows as quickly as possible. The beauty of this is often being out in broad daylight, or blending into the crowd is just as handy as the never ending depths of a shadow. You need to stay away from everyone, and have everyone know you don’t exist. Just remember that if you need to use the crowd, people are so wrapped up in their own existence that they will never notice that you're there. Unless you bump them with your wings...

Stay hidden, stay vigilant, and be quiet.

-Prince Charming-

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[Odion Martins]

3 – Never Trust Another Thief

That being said, remember to read this with caution.

This in and of itself makes sense. If you’re a thief, you know who you are. You’re a liar, a beggar, the scum of the earth. You feed off of other people’s hard work because, why not? And it’s not a bout of laziness. One has to stay fit to run away, and to stay fit one cannot be fat. Being a thief is also made up of common sense. Why trust someone who will rob you blind?

If you’re a thief worth your count on this god forsaken earth, you will spot another thief when you see one. They have the same slouch, the same lines, the hidden agenda. They’ll stay to themselves and steer clear of you because they know you’re one too. If they can’t tell you’re a thief, bonus, steal from them. You only have yourself to lookout for and if another thief is stupid enough to let you close, then that’s their problem. Also, if you happen to be a position to make bets on who the better thief is, bet on yourself and win some extra cash. You’re already a scoundrel, might as well have a gambling addiction.

Trusting another thief means putting your life in the hands of someone who can’t really take care of it. Not one person should know all of your secrets, and if your secrets must be told, write them down. Do not blog about them, do not make them accessible and don’t think that just because you’re a little fancy on your computer and make things password protected that some meta human can’t hack into them. Don’t be stupid, just another unspoken rule.

So what does one thief do when they see another thief in grave peril? What does one thief do when they’ve bitten off more than they can chew? In these cases, help is necessary, but any other swindler who wants to help you isn’t going to care about who your mom is or who she slept around with in her younger days. And you shouldn’t either. Saying as little as possible to get your ass out of the spotlight is key. When you yourself see another thief in trouble, help without question, expect nothing in return, and then leave as quickly as possible. No one wants to go to jail, and that’s not the end goal in this kind of lifestyle.

There are no exceptions to this rule. Lie to yourself and those around you if you must, but trust no one farther than you can watch them leave without their wallet.

-Prince Charming-

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[Odion Martins]

4 – Trust No One

Trusting a thief is tricky business, since it’s a false sense of trust to begin with, and only happens out of necessity if it has to happen at all. Could you imagine putting your life into the hands of a blubbering, drooling, incapacitated idiot? That’s what happens when you tell someone about who you are when it’s actually none of their goddamn business. Never mind that these idiots will get into trouble, so will you.

The average person can’t keep a secret. Why would they when all in the world has been handed to them? They have nothing to fear and your reality is nothing but a fantasy to them. They’ll say, ‘Oh yeah, I remember stealing some candy when I was a kid, big deal.’ So now, if you trusted them in the first place, they won’t take you seriously. A good way to avenge this is to steal from them, prove just how silly their small mind is for thinking that stealing is for kids and candy.

The longer you stay in one place, the harder it is to remain anonymous. People will eventually start to get to know you, and this is where the real stealing begins. How much can you know about someone without them knowing anything about you? How far can you get them to trust you? Stealing trinkets is fun and interesting, but stealing secrets is invaluable and gives you real power. There’s something special about having someone sitting in the palm of your hand, helplessly surrendering. This amusement doesn’t last long, as people hate it when their secrets are known, but don’t have any secrets to keep in return. This has to do with relationship, and that’s not something you want.

I’m not saying to make it seem as though you trust someone, this is a wonderful trick in and of itself. This is where having a pseudo name, a pen name if you will, comes in handy. Never stray far from the truth or give too much of it up. Only a little bit will keep people coming back. Even those with the best of intentions cannot be trusted, since intentions are just that and human mistakes will always prevail. Trust, even though it might be pure to start, will erode and decay eventually into the worthless entity that it is. Trust is as false as being able to live without water and as sure as gravity.

In conclusion, if you want to remain a thief, you will keep to yourself and not trust a soul. If you’re a master swindler, you won’t even trust yourself.

-Prince Charming-

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[Odion Martins]

Odion heard a knock on his door and went to answer. It wasn’t important what he was doing before as his eyes narrowed at the sight of the blond in front of him. He went to close the door but Cameron had stuck his foot in the way.

“Hey man, look, I just wanted to apologize.”

Odion opened the door again. “What for? Being a total jackass in general who thinks everyone’s in love with him? Or no, wait, perhaps it’s for cheating on my brother. Or maybe-”

“Seriously dude, do you always cut to the core?” Cameron asked, wearing a goofy smile on his face. “Relax bro, I was talking to Jared and I decided I just wanted to give you a chance or something.”

Odion stepped out into the hallway. “I’m not your man, bro, dude, or any other stupid thing that comes out of your stupid mouth,” Odion stated, raising an eyebrow at Cam and crossing his arms in front of him. The blond looked a little taken aback, but was still smiling for some unspoken reason. Odi’s lip practically raised in a silent growl.

“Okay, fine. Odion,” he sighed, scratching the back of his head as Odion stared daggers into him. “Declyn and Jared seem to think there’s something good about you so I thought-”

“I don’t care what you think. Do I need to remind you that I loathe you?”

Cam scoffed, crossing his arms in front of him as his smile finally slipped away. “No, you don’t need to remind me, I know. But you’ve been through a lot and I just wanted to say that whatever it is about me that bothers you, I’m sorry.”

Odion stood there in silence. Jared must’ve tugged on Cameron’s heartstrings rather fiercely or the blond to come to him now and apologize after his truck was the one who had been destroyed.

Cameron stuck his hand out for a shake, and Odion hesitated.

“Come on m... you,” Odion’s gaze steeled, “let’s try again?” Never once did Odion’s gaze leave Cameron’s eyes, and he knew he could never forgive the blond, and he didn’t have reason to. But he wanted to be a better person, the best version of himself he could be. And he had destroyed the moron’s truck after all. He extended his hand slowly.

Odion had judged Cameron as being predictable. They shook hands, coming to a standstill. They let go and Cam turned around.

“Oh, and one more thing.” Odion saw it coming, the punch to the gut. But this would be a moment where his power wasn’t working. He had stress to thank as his body reacted by bending into the blow, and Cam had only moved closer while Odion coughed a lung out.

“That’s for my baby,” Cam said, patting Odion on the shoulder. Judging people before one knew them, now that was just a damn shame.

Odion’s guard not only went up, but it thickened. Fucking people in this fucking world...

With everything up for grabs, Odion used his bent over position to tackle Cameron to the ground, his shoulder in the boy’s stomach. Cam didn’t have much weight to him, and could only bring his forearms up in defense as the first punch was thrown.

“What?” Cam asked, his face peeking out beside his arms as Odion halted, having already punched Cameron’s arms. “Is that all you got, bro?” Odion didn’t waste any time punching Cam in his exposed mug, making the blond wince and cover his face.

“I’ll ruin you like I ruined your truck,” Odion said, getting up and kneeing Cam in the ribs to see how much he enjoyed it. The light manipulator rolled over in pain, curling up into the fetal position. Odion leaned over and rolled him back, grabbing the neck of Cam’s shirt and drawing him closer, their faces mere inches away.

Odion raised his fist and Cam closed his eyes tightly, bunching the skin around his eyes. “Don’t!” He said, and then started smirking and trying to hold back laughter. “Don’t kiss me,” he said quietly, opening his eyes again in mirth.

It didn’t matter what Odion did to him. No one could ruin his life more than he had on his own.

Odion threw one last punch to Cameron’s jaw line, and this time blood decorated the outline of his teeth. Cam slumped back to the floor, leaning against the doorframe with his head against the wall.

Cameron groaned as Odion shoved him roughly to the floor, stepping onto his already bleeding jaw slowly. Cam winced into the ground, the side of his face kissing the dirty floor they walked on, and Odion smirked. He gave Cameron’s face once last shove with his foot. “I wouldn’t kiss an egotistical light bulb,” Odi said, kicking Cameron out of the way into his dorm.

The blonde strained to look up at him. “Maybe now,” Cam coughed, “we’ll be friends.”

Odion just rolled his eyes and shut the door behind him. Cameron didn’t shut up, no wonder he and Jared were friends.

Cameron smiled again before letting his head hang, and actually kissed the floor just for the hell of it. Odion had shaken his hand. No wonder he and Jared were friends.

[Odion Martins]

4 – Trust No One - Part 2

Would you put your life into someone else's hands? No. For this reason, a good thief will never trust anyone, not even themselves. While you do have to take care of yourself, basic needs and bodily functions do not require trust. If you have to get a job done, rely only on what you know how to do and not on what you think others can provide. It does not matter what they promise you or even if they have paid you in advance in the form of money, trinkets, or favors. If they are paying you in advance, they are not good enough to do things on their own and you should not trust them.

Think of yourself as a lone wolf. A band of thieves is otherwise known as the merry men and you do not want to be anyone's bitch. You have your own life with your own problems and if you owe somebody something, you will not be a good thief.

Trusting in anyone puts one at ease, and a thief should never be at ease. You should always be on your toes, thinking one step ahead. While it's good to have a plan when planning larger heists, you need to have the flexibility to change your plans when the time calls for it. So, do not even trust in your own planning skills.

You should not be getting close to anyone, so there will not be anyone to trust in the first place. Having family is definitely not an asset in this regard. Family bonds can be used against you, so if you have to keep a family intact, it's best that they do not know about your secret ways. If you do not have a family, great, keep it that way. Simple is best, less is more.

In terms of friends, do not even bother. Having friends is like voiding your insurance. Friends come with excuses and obligations, and most of them have some kind of moral conscience. And if you get too close, you may end up growing a conscience yourself. Then you can say goodbye to that life of freedom right now. In fact, why are you reading this? This is not a joke, and if you think it is, I suggest you keep a better watch on your pockets.

There is no trust in swindling, only skill.

-Prince Charming-

[Odion Martins]

5 – Stick To What You’re Good At

Let it be said that there is more than one type of thief, though every thief has the same basic principles: taking is better than working hard. All thieves are the same in that we all know that there is a better way to live than going to school and understanding whatever society wants us to know in order to succeed in said society and become another cog in the grand machine. Thieves are those who have either, never tried to succeed in school, or those who have tried and have realized that they can do the scamming instead.

The following will be a sketch of what kind of thief you might take after. Think of it like one of those internet quizzes* you can take!

An Incomplete List of Thieves:

• Pickpockets
• Picklocks
• Pirates
• Persuaders

Pickpocket

These are the types of thieves who are underrated at best. Their most likely location is Europe, and Americans like to travel there and Europeans love tourists. Tourists are stupid and are too busy gawking at monuments to realize they have just been robbed. Besides, there is no better target than a fanny pack or a rucksack. Paris is a good place to pickpocket and go unseen, so long as you have the right technique, as that’s what pickpocketing boils down to. Pickpockets are not going for anything big, just the everyday essentials, such as money or jewelry to sell for money.

Pickpockets are fast little buggers and one can barely notice what they are doing, even on camera. A pickpocket is someone who knows how to make split second decisions and know who to target based on only a few seconds of observation. Pickpockets are constantly judging people, even those they have deemed unworthy of being scoured. Pickpockets are well dressed in order not to stick out in a crowd and appear either very busy, or on a mission.

Consequences If Caught: Up to five years in minimum security prison, probably less if you can convince them you have not stolen much, or can bend their judgement and make them feel sorry for you because you desperately need money for your INSERT DYING RELATIVE HERE.

Picklock

Similar to pickpockets, and yet the purpose is entirely different. Pickpockets make things personal, while picklocks know how a good break and enter operates. Picklocks tend to carry a small set of tools around with them in order to break into anything, ranging from homes, to offices buildings, to maximum security banks. These thieves enjoy taking from those who feel superior and reminding them that everyone is human and basic in the end. It is quite hard to feel bad about stealing from something that doesn’t have a face, only possessions, and after all, isn’t that what insurance is for?

Possessions picklocks are particularly interested in are: cars, money, and other big ticket items. The means to the end is much like a pickpocket, and that is how much can you take and get away with for the most money in the least amount of time. That being said, picklocks put themselves at greater risk every time they purposefully go after something, and unless you are extremely charming, it is hard to con your way out of these situations. A similar situation would be the husband returning home early to find you in bed with his wife – 99% unforgivable on your part. The other 1% depends on role play situations or threesomes, so very unlikely.

Consequences If Caught: Depending on what you get caught stealing and who from (lawyers, the damn rat bastards), anywhere between 2-25 years in a minimum security prison.

Pirate

There are subcategories for this section, as someone could pirate, scam, or both. Basically, a piratical thief finds plunder by surfing the world wide web. Anything is up for grabs, from music, movies, and books, to more serious government documents. These thieves know what’s out there by way of digging into places they should not be, and/or knowing people in the right places, or being said people in the right places. This kind of thief steals for the sheer pleasure of owning something they know they shouldn’t for the sake of knowing or having the information, or because they’re too fucking lazy to go out and get the damn CD.

A scammer is someone who is willing to spend money to make money. They are like pirates because they use technology to their advantage. These people are amazing at taking other regular peoples’ identity for passports, or to embezzle money from. There is no end to what one can do with this kind of expertise so long as one does not get caught.

Consequences If Caught: For entertainment snatching, you’re looking at a few warnings from your internet provider (which should not be happening if you have thrown them off of your electronic track), to possibly being cut off by said provider, at which point you can just get a new provider or go with the same provider under a different name. Taking or hacking into anything government related would probably warrant a house search and some jail time. Solo scammers are hardly ever caught, but payback is a bitch if you are red handed: up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Persuader

The persuader, not to be confused with a pirate, is someone seemingly living an ordinary, mechanical life. These types of thieves are the gambling folks who think anything can be bet upon, and they are either very skilled in winning, bending the rules, or are just damn lucky. This type of thief is normally very intelligent, and can rig any kind of game involving money. They strategize by never winning too much in the same place. This type of thief can also appear very friendly, and after knowing someone for a while, may ask for a favour in monetary form and then never repay the idiotic soul who “loaned” them money in the first place.

Without being meta, a professional persuader can and will con you out of house and home all at your own freewill. This kind of thief is attuned to human emotion, and is very patient in finding just the right target. If it can be rigged, it can be taken. These thieves are phenomenally wealthy without much consequence.

Consequences If Caught: Depending on what you take and how much and from who, you’re looking at 10-30 years in a minimum security prison. But really, if you’re gambling, no one can hate a winner.

Glossary

Persuader [noun]
1. Strategic cocky gambler with their eyes on the prize and their dick in their hand.

Picklock [noun]
1. Sneaky bastard with quick maneuvers and a sense of where the security cameras are placed so they know who to avoid, or moon.

Pickpocket [noun]
1. Quick little prick – if it’s on your body, they’ll take it before you notice the weight off your shoulders or are stuck with an empty wallet while you try and pay for lunch.

Pirate [noun]
1a. Lazy moron who cannot wait to get their hands on the latest Twilight sequel.
1b. Knowledge whore who cannot stand to be out of the loop, their greedy hands needing more to fill their desperate minds.
2. Daredevil who is willing to call your identity their own, because having one simply is not enough.

-Prince Charming-

[Odion Martins]

6 – Steal What You Want, Not What You Need

It is an assumption that people who steal are poor. This is not to say that poor people do not steal, but rather they lack the finesse or skill to do it well. Think about it. When you are poor, and you need to steal in order to survive, you are going to walk around with an air of desperation so thick that even the girl behind the counter at your local quickie store could call you on your bullshit. You will be jumpy, eager, and hopeful to get what you need and get out as soon as possible. Stealing dish soap is awkward. A thief of this sort will not work in this society, this is not Oliver Twist. Things did not turn out so well for him anyways.

There is a difference however, when someone knows what they are doing, and steals what they need and are poor. This type of thief has been raised in the fine arts of what it means to be a thief since birth, and stealing is all they know. Stealing isn’t inherently wrong unless someone tells you otherwise, and when one doesn’t have much to live off of and can see that everyone else does, what’s the hurt in taking some of that overflow for yourself? Someone like this can take just about anything and make it seem like the most natural thing in the world, because for them it is. It is certainly not for the faint of heart, nor for anyone of the upper middle class sector.

One must steal what they want simply for the pleasure of it. A little something you have always wanted for yourself. Something small that you can easily conceal. Barcodes and scanners will not be a hassle assuming you are not dimwitted enough to leave such devices on the items you’re taking. Peel off the sticker, or carry around nail clippers for larger security measures. Someone who goes in with the attitude of taking what they want because their better than everyone else has an air about them that makes them blend, and untouchable. This is what you are aiming for. No one wants to mess with an asshole.

Bigger items or attempting to rob the clerk is strictly off limits. If you even attempt these things, I don’t know why you’re reading this in the first place. Reading the above entry, you should know at this point I am not fond of these things, so you will find no help for them here. Try somewhere else.

Taking is called taking for a reason,

-Prince Charming-

[Odion Martins]

With Broken Glass to Hold
by: Bre and Izy

"Where are we?" Odion asked as Lani dragged him along by the hand. Ireland was a lot rainier than Odion had expected, not that he didn't know, it just seemed a lot more lush in pictures.

"You'll see, it's a surprise," Lani said, his eyes bright and nearly glowing. Odion could only smile and let out a little laugh, thinking of how wonderful and thoughtful Lani was. It was a great day to be in love.

Approaching a sizable house tucked away amidst the rolling hills, Odion was happy to duck out of the rain and into the protection of the doorway. There wasn't anything exceptional about the house itself, it looked like any other in the countryside. Odion and Lani had passed many like it on their way here, only two more sets of footprints on the already well travelled path.

Odion glanced around while Lani rapped on the door excitedly. Everything seemed to slow to a halt as he stared at something straight above the doorway. A plaque, worn with age still bore the family name, etched deeply into the wood, beads of rain rolled through the grooves and seemed to cut the letters deeper. O'Callahan.

Declyn opened the door, and a warm smile was shared between him and Lani. Odion looked on, too shocked to move, too shocked to react as they exchanged some kind of greeting. He couldn't even hear his own haggard breathing over the ringing in his ears. This must have been what it felt like to drown.

Someone was calling him back, but he was already making a speedy getaway.

“That’s not my name!” He yelled, looking back momentarily, a woman of middle age already past the doorway, past Declyn and Lani. Odion choked back a sob, gritting his teeth and making a run for it. Everything was happening too quickly for him to keep up, too quickly for his power to comprehend.

And after the running time turner and past the crying mother came Lani, after him. The telekinetic’s hand closed around Odion’s wrist a fair distance from the house, it couldn’t even be seen over the hills that surrounded them and the damp narrow road. The hill concealed Odion’s family and the distress of his mother, which left Lani looking at Odion with a mixture of disappointment and guilt.

“Hold up, Odion,” Lani said, “Hold on.” It was clear on the blond’s face that he knew he’d screwed up.

“Leave me alone, Lani!” Odion snapped, hurt hiding behind anger. He jerked his arm free and Lani let him get a few more steps before he trotted after him.

This was Odion’s family, Lani couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t want to know them. “Listen, I’m sorry, I should have told you. But I thought --”

“You thought what?” Odion turned so quickly the telekinetic had to backpedal to keep from running into him. “You thought we’d have a happy reunion and be a big happy family, did you?”

“That’s not --”

Odion ignored him. “How could you do this to me? Fuck, Lani! When are you going to stop lying to me?”

“I wanted to help!” Lani blurted, “Declyn asked me to help, so I did.”

“And you lied to me!” Odion’s eyes were starting to get blurry.

“You wouldn’t have come if I’d told you!” Lani shot back.

Odion waved a frustrated hand. “Of course I wouldn’t have!”

Lani waved a hand as Odion verified his point. Odion glared at his boyfriend, his heart aching with the betrayal. Was he ever going to stop? There was no honor among thieves, no honesty, but he had truly thought they had gotten past that. It nagged at so many doubts in his mind.

“And that’s why Declyn came to me! Odion they’re your family,” Lani was trying very hard to be reasonable.

“They threw me away!” Odion shouted, why didn’t Lani understand, that was not something that could be fixed, they didn’t want him then and he wanted nothing to do with them now. They didn’t get to have a second chance with him!

“Did you even look at her?” Lani snapped, “Do you think they haven’t regretted it all this time? Hell, Odion, you’re being selfish holding a grudge like that! Don’t you think it’s been killing them all this time and you just ran off!” Lani didn’t understand, if he’d never met his parents he would be dying to meet them. If anything he’d want to know why they gave him up, but apparently that wasn’t enough for Odion, Lani narrowed his eyes, did he really want them to suffer? Then he was on a great streak so far.

“Given the choice, I wouldn’t have wanted to be here in the first place,” Odion stammered, his voice shaking between anger and sadness.

“I did this for you,” Lani replied, trying to near the redhead. His hands outstretched as if he wanted to take Odion in his arms, but was unsure if he should.

“What? Break my heart?”

“No! I didn’t think--”

“That’s right Lani, you didn’t think at all.” Odion clutched at his throbbing head, his memories jumping before him and he couldn’t stop them. “Next thing I know, you'll want to call me Sebastian." His voice choked. "I thought you loved me.”

Lani’s face softened somewhat, but he wasn’t going to let this go, not with a caring family right behind them who was trying so hard just to get to know their son, just like he had been trying.

“I do love you. But goddamn it Odion, you really think I would do this to hurt you?”

Odion held back his tears, giving Lani a cold hard stare. “Seems that way, doesn’t it?”

Hurt was written across Lani’s eyes, and he crossed his arms over his chest in an attempt to hide his heart again. “How could you say that?”

Odion laughed madly. “You have no idea do you?” The redhead was pacing, and somewhere between the ringing in his mind he wondered if his supposed family could hear him all the way out here. “And even if I did go back and got to know them, I would never fit in. Do you think I want that? Do you think I’d even be who I am right now if they had found me? Is that what you want? They did that to me. We may share the same blood, but we are not family.”

Odion took a deep breath, taking a closer look into Lani’s eyes. “Is that it? You want me to change? To have a little family to make me better, to prove I’m not an outcast?”

Lani didn’t know what to say. Why couldn’t Odion see what Lani saw? He just didn’t seem to see that these people loved him, that Lani loved him and so many people’s lives wouldn’t be half as bright without Odion in them. “I’m not talking about the past Odion. Maybe they deserve a chance!”

Odion couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. “They don’t fucking deserve it! How dare you bring me here, to the scum of the earth who would throw away their child. I’m nothing like them.” Odion turned away and started walking unable to stand still.

“But Odion, you’ve shown me there’s still good in this world. They, your family, want to be a part of your life!” Lani called after him before taking long strides to catch up. “Why won’t you just give them a chance?”

Odion stopped. “Not everyone gets another chance,” Odion said with finality, looking down at Lani.

Lani paused. “What? What are you saying?”

“You don’t get to be a part of my life anymore Lani,” Odion spat, already putting up his walls and hardening his heart. Never before had he been so enraged. “We’re through.”

“Wh--” Lani choked staring at Odion in shock. A moment passed, and all that could be heard was the gentle drum of the rain. Finally, Lani stammered in speech, swaying with the weight of this revelation. “This isn’t about us.”

“This is exactly about us,” Odion said, pointing his finger downward, making a stand. “You can never let me in, and I’m never letting you in again.”

A mix of emotions raced over Lani’s face, everything from disbelief to anger to denial, there was even a moment when Lani looked like he might laugh, but his expression finally dropped like a stone when Odion made no indication he was joking. Lani shook his head. “What… Odion, you… You’re not serious.”

“We’re through,” Odion repeated his voice harsher and his eyes growing darker.

Those gray eyes were as wide as he’d ever seen them and they narrowed to slits as the telekinetic’s power flashed through the area and he felt his heart breaking into a million pieces. This couldn’t be happening, this was a dream, a nightmare.

“Just like that?” Lani snapped, choosing anger for lack of an ability to process anything else, “After all we’ve fucking been through?”

“All that we’ve been through because you won’t let me in and I’m done trying!”

Lani shook his head at the redhead. His power flashed around Odion and Lani’s eyes flashed momentarily. Odion might say it was frightening to watch the storm rage inside Lani, but he didn’t want to care right now. “I was only trying to help!” Lani shouted back and he forced his power down, he had promised to not force Odion to stay. But he couldn’t stop himself from reaching out. “I’m sorry, Odion!”

Odion jerked his hands back and paced out of reach. “You say that but this keeps happening.”

“You’re so selfish!” Lani blurted.

“Me?!”

“Yes you! You have people who love you and you’re running away from them.”

“Who’s selfish?” Odion bit back, “You’ve never told me a damn thing! You’re a fucking liar Lani and you don’t do it to protect others, you do it to protect yourself!”

“Like you’re the poster child of honesty,” Lani retorted. Anger was getting the better of him and he couldn’t force himself to stop. “I wanted to give this to you because you deserve a family that loves you. And you spit on them!” He needed this not to be about them, Odion was angry, but he didn’t have to make this about them.

“The family you keep forgetting threw me out!” Odion shouted back, he was not going to let this get away from the core of the situation, or maybe he was hiding from the core. “They didn’t just spit on me Lani, they ground me into the dust, they didn’t want me!”

“They’re trying Odion, you won’t let them!”

“I don’t want to! They rejected me when I didn’t even have a choice in the matter, and now I’m rejecting them. But you can’t understand that because everything is fucking magical in Lani’s world.” Odion spat rage burning in his eyes and blinding him to the pain that crossed Lani’s face.

“Right, perfect world,” Lani said softly shaking his head the movement of things around him giving a clue to his actual mood. He shook his head. “Fuck you, Odion.”

Odion’s vision was blurred with tears and he struck another nail in the coffin. “I’m done with this. We’re done.”

Lani’s eyes were just as blurry and his heart shattered and he cried out after Odion. “Is this always how it’s going to be? I make a mistake and you wash your hands of me?” When Odion didn’t answer Lani formulated his own, and he hugged himself. “This is exactly your fucking problem! When things get hard you call it quits! You don’t care who you hurt or who gets in the way! I thought you loved me!”

“I thought so too,” Odion replied not looking at Lani. And small cobblestones dropped where they were as Lani processed that information. The entire world wasn’t just upside down, it had been stolen from beneath his very feet.

“That’s it?” Lani asked in desperation. “Fine! Go ahead and leave! I won’t be here!” He waited but Odion wasn’t stopping him. Lani took a step back. “Run away! Run away scared like you always do! Congratulations Odion you’re the better liar! Really fucking fooled me! Why don’t you go find Rhett and have a fucking party!”

“I don’t know who’s more detestable really, you or him.” A surprised look overcame Odion’s face, but he didn’t take back what he said. They were both pretenders and liars, and Odion was tired. Oh, so tired of always having to fight Lani in order to gain any headway.

Lani choked back what Odion assumed was a sob, the redhead immediately regretted what he just said. “Well?” Lani’s eyes turned golden once more. “Go crawling back to him already! Leave! You seem to like your leash.”

Odion rubbed at his face, unable to come back with any kind of retort. What was the point? At least the weather would hide their tears. Behind Lani people were running through the rain, towards them.

“I hate you,” Odion said, clear as day. He made a quick getaway to the car Lani had rented for them.

“Is he just going to leave?” Declyn asked furiously.

Lani shrugged. “He won’t get far,” the telekinetic said his voice far away, not saying so because Odion wouldn’t leave if he could, but the time turner hadn’t yet learned to drive.

“We have to…”

Lani caught Declyn’s arm and shook his head. The numbness of the loss brought a terrifying clarity to Lani’s mind. “I’m sorry, Declyn…”

Declyn jerked out of Lani’s grip and took a step after Odion then stopped. Odion’s parents caught up. Odion’s mother was screaming running on the slick cobblestones reaching out. “Sebastian!” Whatever else she might have said didn’t get out as she dissolved into sobs and wails.

The woman’s cries broke Lani even more than breaking up with Odion and there was the anger again. He hadn’t been able to believe Odion’s cruelty and for a moment he met her blue eyes and briefly they shared in mutual loss. Mr. O’Callahan caught his wife before she fell and half supported, half dragged her back to the house. Shrieking and calling out in a way that sliced through Lani’s heart. He’d given them hope and then torn it away. He was the worst of the worst. His fists clenched. Why did everything he tried to do go wrong? Why when he tried to do good did it always blow up in his face? Why was he such a failure?

Beside him Declyn scoffed his face red with rage. “I thought he was better than this,” Lani said softly. I hate you, Odion's voice echoed in his head.

Declyn opened his mouth and closed his again looking after his parents. “I don’t understand…” Odion’s twin said helplessly.

Lani looked after the redhead and raised his chin. “He’s a fool and a coward,” he said hoping his voice would carry, “He always was and always will be.” And nothing I do can change that. Numb anger was all he felt and he closed his eyes attempting to stop the tears that wouldn’t stop. It was as if he had broken into so many pieces he didn’t even comprehend what it was like to be whole anymore. Lani’s lip curled in a snarl.

“I know what my parents did was fucked up, but… I just thought.” Declyn was shaking with rage. “How can he just…?” When Lani couldn’t offer any explanation Declyn started shouting. “What the hell are we supposed to do now? I don’t think my mother will ever be alright again! She has been dreaming of this her whole life!”

Lani just looked away, guilt battering him from all sides. “I’m sorry…” Lani offered but he half suspected all of this anger wasn’t at him, he was just the unfortunate recipient of Declyn’s rage. Lani didn’t want to stand here anymore, he wanted to be safe and warm and away from all of this. He wished it had never happened. “He’s not the man I thought he was,” Lani said softly and trudged after Odion.

“Lani!” Declyn called after him and the telekinetic paused briefly. “I’m sorry, I never thought…”

He stopped when Lani held up a hand. “What’s done is done, Declyn.”

“But, I never…”

“I know.”

“Are you going to be okay?”

Lani tried to smile but the action failed him, instead he said. “Go look after your mother. Tell her I’m sorry.”

--

“You can’t just leave!” Lani hollered, making Odion cringe.

“Watch me.” This wasn’t the first time this conversation had happened, though it hadn’t been with Lani the first time.

“You see this?” Odion asked, rummaging through their hotel room, holding up his round trip ticket back to Pilot Ridge. He didn’t hesitate in ripping it into many halves, letting them fall to the floor silently.

Lani looked like he was about to be sick, his arms crossed over his chest as he held up the wall. Odion really was done this time. He would never get his Catupine back.

That was it? Well, Odion had made it clear. Lani swallowed, Odion hated him. He closed his eyes tightly, not willing to let Odion see how much he was hurting.

Odion’s back was to Lani, his hands shaking as he looked at the wall the ruins of the ticket seeming to float with exaggerated slowness, as if they were protesting the action. What was done was done. Odion gritted his teeth, he refused to be broken hearted about this, but the betrayal stung. It also strengthened his resolve.

Actions spoke louder than words. Usually a man of speech, Odion didn’t have a damn thing to say as he pretended like it didn’t hurt to be packing up right now. It wasn’t like he hadn’t wanted to come to Ireland, but the beauty of his homeland faded into the black as his mind was preoccupied with the present.

In protest, Lani was throwing his things haphazardly into his own suitcase, mildly thrilled that Odion seemed annoyed by the unfolded, unlaundered clothes going into the same pile. He wouldn’t have to be annoyed by him much longer.

Had they really broken up? Odion didn’t know if Lani was going back to America, and he didn’t care. Only a couple of nights ago, Lani and Odion had been completely vulnerable with one another, entirely in love - it was the last time Odion ever planned on being so stupid.

“I thought I was doing the right thing,” Lani said, hoping to still break through to the redhead, though unable to look at him. This was his final try.

“No, oh no no no no no,” Odion said, an accusatory finger pointed in Lani’s direction, “you don’t get to say that now with your puppydog face. Don’t justify yourself to me.” It was like they hadn’t even gotten to know each other better over the last year. Even now, Odion was having a hard time recalling their European excursions - or his mind wouldn’t let him. He refused to be the suicidal maniac like he had once been when Rhett left. It was Lani who had pulled him out of that slump. What now?

Lani looked away, away from the startlingly blue eyes that would haunt him forever. “I’m not going to make you stay.”

“You never had a backbone anyways. Have fun in Boston,” he added in a mock cheerful tone.

Lani closed his eyes, unsure whether to swing or break out in tears. All of his plans, ruined. It was just like Odion to do this too.

“This is yours,” Lani hissed and took one of Odion’s nice shirts that had migrated into his pile and crushed it into a ball with his hands before throwing it. It hit Odion’s head and the redhead did little more than catch it as it fell and shake it out to fold it nicely. Lani was trying very hard to goad Odion into a fight because at least that was something better than silence. But Odion would not succumb. He was already lost in the void of his transdimensional mind.

Packing was hard and seeing the ruins of the plane ticket on the floor made the reality real for Lani and he couldn’t believe that this was happening. This was all his fault, and he was a fool! He was constantly screwing up. His thoughts digressed tearing at his heart like wolves and leaving gaping holes for the weight of the emotions Lani didn’t know how to handle. This was all his fault, he pushed Odion’s away. He’d never thought that Odion would drop him like this. He was such a fool! Lani looked down at his guilt stained hands and clenched them into fists.

Odion had promised never to leave him, Odion had promised him, he had promised! It was happening all over again, Lani had screwed up again and Odion was leaving him behind. Odion had claimed to love him, claimed that he was a better person than he thought. Odion had built Lani’s confidence one brick at a time and one mistake and he was thrown out, Odion tore at his very foundation tearing him apart brick by brick. Odion hated him.

He didn’t want to be packing and all too soon he was holding his last shirt and he threw it into the suitcase. The souvenirs he’d gotten for his family and for Adrianna were wrapped securely within the folds of clothing. He stood for a moment staring at it before he closed and zipped it up.

He looked up out the window at the beautiful Ireland greenery and he found nothing but gray. “I never should have left Adrianna for you,” he said his only concern striking Odion where it would hurt.

“Maybe you should get back together with her,” Odion suggested coldly, “You were always a keeper.”

Lani brought up their past relationships in order to justify the one they had now. It must have been much easier for Lani to talk about his past than afford room for the future. There was no trust between them. Odion had given Lani so many moments of himself, and Lani had given but half. Well, now there would be no more giving.

Lani narrowed his eyes but his walls were up and his heart was desperately dying and it was all Lani could do to protect it. Odion had said it. He hated Lani. Odion felt betrayed and now Lani did too and he didn’t want to expose himself, he didn’t want Odion to know how much pain he was in but he viciously wanted Odion to hurt. Lani was so blindsided he didn’t even know how to handle this information, he hadn’t had enough time to process it and now he was just reacting.

He glared at Odion and his power rose around him like a shell and it built mental walls in the physical world. He forced a smile and grabbed his pack and pulled it over his shoulders. This was over. Odion was right, this was done. Shutting down his emotions Lani’s masks slid on. “You know, you are the single worst thing that’s ever happened to me.” Odion looked up and once Lani had his attention he aimed his daggers and struck. “My life was fine before you and honestly? I’m glad you ended it, I just haven’t had the heart to do it all along,” it was a wonder his heart wasn’t bleeding out his mouth from his lies. “Godspeed to whatever idiot decides to date you, I’d just suggest for them to kill themselves to start, you’re always whining about something. Anyway, I’d say ‘have a nice life’ but I really couldn’t give a fuck.” He laughed and saluted Odion, “Good riddance.”

He was a brilliant actor and he never acted so well as he did then when he backed out the door and slammed it behind him. Lani had slammed the door on not only Odion but everything that he’d had. He held his smile until he was in the cab and when the driver asked what he was in such a good mood about he laughed. Laughter that quickly turned to sobs.

With the telekinetic leaving, Odion could feel their connection severing. He sat on the cold hotel bed, his fists clenched as he willed himself not to cry. He would not mourn the loss of that man, a man he thought had understood him so well… A man who had ended up leaving him alone, as all others had.

Standing suddenly, Odion grabbed the handle of his suitcase, and everything was flying. You are the single worst thing that has ever happened to me. He had no heart now, everything that was good about him was over, and maybe it hadn’t even existed. I’m honestly glad you ended it… I don’t give a fuck. The lamps at either end smashed into the ground, one after the other. Lani was supposed to have been there forever, had his own mind lied to him? Good riddance.

Odion’s hands pulled at his hair, his arms flailing wildly. And he found himself screaming at the top of his lungs. “Well fuck you too! You were my family you sack of shit! You never had my heart! Never!” But no one was listening anymore.

--

Lani pulled his ‘Boston Celtics’ hoodie tighter around him as he curled himself into his seat and watched the pilot test the wings. He’d been barely able to pull it together enough to get out of the cab and the wait for the plane had brought more tears. Odion didn’t want him, he reminded himself frustratedly and tried to force the sorrow out with anger but the keening loss was so strong in his heart it was like he was drowning in it. He couldn’t breathe and he couldn’t feel anything.

“Sir?” The stuartist said gently not touching him but holding out a blanket.

“Th-thank you,” Lani managed and took it without looking.

“Sir, may I?” He waved a hand without a care and she sat in the aisle seat of the row. “Sir, I don’t know what’s happened but we need you to calm down,” she said, glancing from him to the window.
He blinked and realized the pilot wasn’t checking the wings, he was.

“Sorry,” he said withdrawing into himself.

“Here,” she said handing him a cup of tea, “It’s a little something to help you sleep.”

“I hate tea,” Lani told her. She just smiled sympathetically and pushed it into his hands. Well, sleeping sounded better than this wakeful hell, so he forced down the bitter liquid. He almost immediately felt his mind go fuzzy. "He hated flying..." Lani mumbled.

The next time he awoke they were soaring in for a landing in New York.

--

Odion sat on the hotel room floor. It was like a tornado had passed through, and he couldn’t shut his mind off. Everything inside of him had calmed down and he was only now realizing how differently everything could have gone. But was it really his fault? His need to justify his actions trumped his need to go after Lani, to go to the airport and apologize profusely.

So instead, Odion just got up and left. He did what Lani said he was good at, and ran away. At first he was walking through the hotel exit, but that quickly turned into running. He didn’t know where. All he wanted to do was forget, or reconsider that image of himself falling off a cliff.

But maybe, maybe there was a way to forget all of this. It would be as though it never happened...

[Odion Martins]

March 2014 Writing Challenges

2. Eternal

Twenty years of marriage was definitely worth celebrating. Fifty years of living, well, that was also something to consider. Odion never truly believed that he would live past his early forties, so when Lani agreed to marry him, everything he could have wanted had already come true. And he had enjoyed every corner of every moment that he had been given. They had essentially become foster parents for kids and young adults who grew up similar to them, giving them a chance at life by showing them the tricks of the trade. While others their age were longing for retirement, for them it felt like life had only just begun.

They were leaving the complex together as they normally did, clutching each other’s hands as they normally did. This was as normal as anything about them could get.

“I think a trip to see Caroline and the kids is in order,” Odion suggested to Lani, his hair still in general disarray, though time hadn’t seemed to affect that color so much, just like Lani’s late father.

“You trust the gang to its own devices?” Lani challenged, a small grin on his face.

Odion smirked and chanced a glance behind him. “Honestly? Not really.”

They shared a laugh and a comfortable silence surrounded them. Time seemed to bend and sway and Odion became pensive as he so often did. He wasn’t sure how they were suddenly back in their small home that they had purchased on the outskirts of Pilot Ridge ten years ago, but he was in the middle of saying something.

“Do you find it strange that we’ve never really left?” He asked, glancing out the window as a bus rolled by.

Lani looked slightly confused, peering over the top of his reading glasses. “What d’you mean?”

“Pilot Ridge, Vermont I mean. I thought we would be living somewhere else by now.”

Lani smiled fondly and put ‘The Name of the Wind’ down for the time being. “We can leave, if you want.” He sighed, moving closer to Odion. “I don’t think I can leave the kids though. At least not for a long period of time.”

Odion grinned, lacing his fingers with Lani’s. “You’re right, what would I do without them?”

Lani shrugged, his thumb tracing over Odion’s increasingly weathered hands. “Dunno, travel more?”

Odion smiled and gave a curt nod, thinking about all of the different places they had been in their lifetime. All of North America had been explored, and various parts of Europe, Africa, and South America. They had both been hesitant about Australia because of the long flight times and Odion’s fear of flying, but Lani was still working on that.

There was no explanation as to why suddenly, everything was dark. But happiness was in his heart and a smile stuck on his face as he felt the warmth of someone’s hands over his eyes.

“Where are we now?” He asked into the darkness and someone guided him along.

“Shut up stupid, it’s a surprise,” Avi said, giggling to herself.

Odion failed at supressing a laugh, and sighed. “I wish I had Lani’s telekinesis right now.”

As he allowed himself to be pushed forward, Odion felt that familiar sensation that let him know Lani was nearby. Their powers collided in a comfortable way and metaphorically smiled. There was nothing like that warm feeling of coming home.

He found himself tripping on some stairs and Avi helped him through fits of laughter. “Come on Red, you’d think you’d know the way up your own house steps.”

Odion laughed, still using his hands for guidance. “Well that would’ve been nice to know ages ago.”

The telltale sign of the doorknob clicking came next, and Avi finally dropped her hands.

“Surprise!”

A rousing chorus of shouting erupted around him, and Odion thought his face would break he was smiling so much. Jared was already well into the champagne and Declyn seemed to be hogging a different bottle of alcohol all to himself, since he wasn’t holding a cup.

“Happy birthday Odi!” Caroline broke away from the crowd to give him a hug. Odion smiled and wasn’t sure what to do with himself. He was almost fifty years old and no one had ever done something like this for him. His birthday was never really that special.

“Happy birthday you snivelling twat!” Yelled Jared, slinging his arm around Avi’s shoulders. “Best idea your boy Lani’s ever had if you ask me.”

“I wasn’t, but thanks anyways,” came Lani’s voice from their kitchen, who was making his way into the living room with a tray of Avi’s famous cookies.

“Mom, what’s a twat?” A little boy was tugging at Caroline’s hand.

Odion smiled and kissed Lani deeply, getting a few cheers from their close friends and family.

“Your idea?” He asked after pulling away, smirking at the red hue on Lani’s face.

“Maybe,” Lani said, “but I had a lot of help.” He leaned forward to whisper something in Odion’s ear. Apparently, Lani had sent a round of plane tickets to both Boston and Ireland, and the ‘old folks’ as Lani so lovingly referred to them, were just about done unpacking in the guest bedroom.

They appeared from down the hallway as though on cue and Odion had the chance to hug and hold his parents and in-laws. Apparently it wasn’t just a surprise for him, as Declyn hugged their parents and Caroline hugged hers. This was a chance for everyone to get together as a family, and Odion was glad to sit back and laugh while stories were exchanged, grandparents hugged grandchildren, and friends made fun of each other. Eventually he found Lani holding up the wall by the kitchen and joined him.

“I can’t believe you put this together,” Odion said, taking a sip of rum from his glass.

Lani shrugged. “I figured it you could plan an elaborate engagement, the least I could do was put together a surprise birthday party for you.”

“Ten years later,” Odion teased.

“Shut up,” Lani said, leaning in to steal a kiss while no one was looking.

Everybody important to them was here in this room right now. They were laughing and talking and time seemed endless. It was a moment he vowed never to forget.

He never knew life could be so wonderful. It hadn’t always been this way, but he was glad he had finally gone back to meet his parents, letting them back into his life. He wasn’t sure if that had been the hardest thing in his life, or if coming out to Lani’s parents had taken the cake.

The memory was swept away from him suddenly and things went dark.

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

Odion wasn’t sure when he had said this, but he knew he had. He knew he was trying to comfort Lani in one of the hardest decisions he was going to make in his life.

“No, we have to. I promised…” Lani was looking at him seriously, content with the bargain they had made. If they told Lani’s family, Odion promised to make contact with his. They had lived together as ‘roommates’ for six years now, surely Lani’s family deserved an explanation. Especially if they meant as much to him as he claimed they did.

Odion nodded and squeezed Lani’s hand reassuringly. “We’re in this together, alright?”

Lani nodded back, unable to speak because he felt like he was going to throw up any second. He knew that as soon as his parents saw them, they would know. He didn’t think he would have to say anything, they would just be able to tell. Didn’t parents have special powers like that or something?

“Let’s do this before I change my mind,” Lani said briskly, ringing the doorbell and dropping Odion’s hand as the familiar sound of steps approaching the door came from somewhere deep within the Hunter residence.

Odion took Lani’s hand back. “Together.”

Lani looked at him and smiled. Of this, he was sure of. He knew the answer to their inside joke. It had something to do with Lani controlling things and Odion controlling time, he had forgotten the details of it by now, but he hadn’t forgotten the meaning. “For eternity.”

--

“Mr. Hunter.”

Lani’s head snapped out of the awkward position it had taken when someone falls asleep on a chair.

“Mr. Hunter, you can’t do this to yourself. At least go home and shower. A Mrs. Caroline Newater is waiting for you in the lobby.”

“Tell her to go home,” Lani said, his voice dry and raspy. He didn’t want her seeing him like this. He had always been his little sister’s rock. It didn’t matter that they were older now, he would always be looking out for her.

He looked at Odion beside him, barely listening to what the doctor was saying now as he stared out the window, watching a bus go by. How many times had they told him this was pointless? Maybe not in such harsh terms, but they had said for him to stop trying. To give up and lie down and let fate deal with Odion. Well he wasn’t going to stand for that. He was going to be there when Odion finally woke up, like he always did. He played with his ring absently.

It had been two weeks after the accident. Neither had seen it coming. On the night of their twentieth anniversary, they had been too happy to notice the vehicle before it was too late. Living a life of crime had many penalties to pay, and certain people had finally caught up to them. But it almost made sense – an eye for an eye. And how better to get that eye than when someone was least expecting it.

Suddenly there was shouting coming from the hall, and the doctor left immediately, closing the door behind him.

“Let me through!”

Lani stood up warily so as to not be caught off guard. This sort of thing happened so often it was barely a surprise, not with his telekinesis anyway.

Jared suddenly appeared in the room, giving Lani a wave. “Hiya Lani,” he said, before turning on the spot and opening the locked door.

A very angry and sputtering Avi walked in, followed by Caroline who looked stern faced, and Declyn, who seemed the most determined of all to get inside.

“The nerve of some people, not letting us see our friend,” Avi said, glaring at the doctor in the hallway.

“Visiting hours are over ma’am,” he tried explaining.

Avi looked absolutely insulted. “Ma’am?”

“Oh, and I suppose you’ll be calling security next?” Jared piped in. The doctor seemed as though he were seriously considering it. “Hello? Meta humans here? Move along,” Jared said, making a sweeping gesture with his hand, giving the doctor a stare as though he were an idiot before closing the door.

Lani sat back down and continued looking at Odion. Part of him wished people would stop visiting. He was being selfish, he wanted Odion to himself. He didn’t want to share with the kids when they had come by looking for their teacher, and he still didn’t want to share with friends and family.

“I brought these for you,” Avi said, offering Lani some cookies, the smell of them replacing the too clean smell of the hospital room. “They won’t go bad while you stay here.”

Lani took them limply in his hands. Jared had wrapped his arms around Avi’s waist, the elephant in the room looming heavily over them all.

“How’s he doin’?” Declyn asked, a serious look on his face as he looked over Odion’s face.

Lani’s steely eyes glazed over as he held back tears. “Doctor says he isn’t coming back.”

The room grew even more silent.

“But he’s still here, look, he’s still breathing,” Caroline said, trying to convince herself and anyone listening.

“He’s been like this before,” Jared offered, but even that slim hope didn’t make anyone smile.

Lani closed his eyes and wished he could believe them. He needed to, for Odion.

“You okay Lani?” Caroline asked softly, a hand moving to Lani’s shoulder.

Lani looked around at everyone and suddenly grew angry. “You’re all acting like he’s already gone. Don’t you think he can hear us? For god’s sake if you’re going to be here just, I dunno, be quiet.”

No one moved. Caroline’s grip on Lani’s shoulder tightened.

“I can’t stand to see ‘im like tha’.” Declyn was suddenly wiping at his face and heading for the door.

“Come on mate, you can’t have him waking up and seeing you looking like right shit, go home for a bit, yeah?” Jared said, concern on his face as he took Caroline’s hand off of her brother and nodded towards the door. “We’ll be in the lobby waiting for you.”

“We love you both,” Avi said, Caroline and Jared nodding in agreement. They left quietly, though Lani could still hear Avi and Jared telling off the doctors, nurses, and probably a couple patients as they made their way to the exit.

Lani wished he hadn’t snapped at them like that, especially not when he needed them most. He sighed and moved the chair closer to Odion’s bed before closing his eyes and resting his forehead on Odion’s arm. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be. They should be on their way to Australia by now, together.

Lani clutched at Odion’s hand, still strong, like he could still find his way home.

“Please Odion, come back to me.”

~~~~~~

61. Search
((Credit to REO Speedwagon, "Keep on Loving You"))

It was all going according to plan. Lani had, with a great deal of effort, gotten up earlier than the redhead and snuck out of their apartment leaving a note on the table:

Odion,
Happy birthday, love!

I have a surprise for you, but you’re going to have to find it! You should try starting where we first met.

All my love,
Lani

Notes like this would continue and knowing that Odion was sharp, Lani had made them varying degrees of difficulty, some were old memories, others were just puzzles, all in the effort to keep Odion occupied for the duration of the day. Lani texted Odion midway through his preparations.

To: Odion
How’s it going?

From: Odion
You’re an ass <3

Lani chuckled at the return message.

To: Odion
Stuck?

From: Odion
No.

To: Odion
Want to meet for lunch? I can give you a hint ;P

From: Odion
Only if it is ‘Due North’ of the place I ‘first caught you’.

To: Odion
Roger.

He laughed and when he didn’t get a message back from Odion, he realized it was either that Odion wasn’t sure where to go or was just annoyed at the whole game. He found the bar manager and told him that he was stepping out and thanked him again for helping out. The barkeep smiled and waved him on.

The telekinetic was standing outside the old diner where he had first forced Odion to swallow a burger. He leaned against the storefront, his arms crossed before him as he waited. Soon enough he spotted a redhead coming through the crowd. Pushing himself off the wall he walked toward Odion. The redhead was grinning, his faced excited, “You know how hard it is to figure out ‘due North’? There is a restaurant in almost every direction!” Odion said pointing an accusing finger at Lani.

“Oh come on, you’re not enjoying it?” Lani teased, “I thought it was very easy.” He fingered the chain around his neck and gave Odion a wink. Odion took a step forward and drew Lani into a kiss. Lani wrapped his arms around Odion. “Happy birthday, love,” he said when he could breathe again.

“Thanks,” Odion smiled back in reply and pointed at the restaurant, “You’re not gonna make me eat a burger are you?”

“Nah, c’mon,” Lani said linking his arm with his boyfriend and leading him inside. For the price of a rare diamond the head chief had made a special dish of soup he’d learned while he was running his business in Paris.

He’d debated and argued with himself for weeks trying to figure out what to get Odion for his birthday, it wasn’t enough to just get him something, not after they’d been together for five years. Odion didn’t need things. Back outside Lani held out a small bag he had hidden behind his back.

“Happy birthday, Odion!”

Odion took the bag and pulled out the contents which included a plush teddy bear. He paused before looking back at Lani. “Lani, you… thank you.” On the bear was a ring, one that wasn’t ‘girly’, one that reminded Lani of Odion. The ring had three smaller rings that rotated independently. Each had roman numerals that mimicked the hours, minutes and seconds on a clock. The point wasn’t to be accurate. Odion slipped it on his finger, testing it on a few before he found one that fit, reminding Lani he needed to actually get a good idea of Odion's ring size by now.

While Odion was distracted Lani dug out and handed over a note to Odion. A sly grin on his face.

Odion looked up at Lani with disbelief. “What? There’s more? Lani!” Lani nodded and waved the paper at Odion, flashing it by his face as annoyingly as possible until Odion broke and snatched it out of his hands. “What’s the surprise?”

“You’ll see,” Lani said an impish smile on his face.

“Aw come on Lani,” Odion said drawling out Lani’s name like he did when the telekinetic was annoying him.

Lani shook his head. “You’ll see,” he insisted. He gave Odion a kiss before turning. He turned and pointed from his eyes to Odion. “And don’t you even try to follow me, you’ll ruin it.”

After wandering around for a half hour, Lani decided Odion wasn’t going to follow him and breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the bar to make sure everything was set up. These clues would lead Odion all over Pilot Ridge and even back to their apartment and in some places that now had to be snuck into.

Night fell and the bar was starting to fill with people. Lani was waiting nervously, any minute now Odion should be finding his way here. It had taken a lot of courage to talk himself into this and now Lani couldn’t back out. It was all coming to this.

His breath caught as he saw Odion walk in the door his head swinging around searching for something. With a nod to the guitarist next to him music suddenly filled the air. Odion’s eyes turned toward the stage and even at this distance Lani could see the shock cross his face.

Lani took a deep breath and he sang, “You should’ve seen by the look in my eyes, baby, there was something missin…” A hush and small ripple of whispers flowed through the small crowd but Lani’s eyes were on Odion.

“You should’ve known by the tone of my voice, maybe, but you didn’t listen. You played dead, but you never bled, instead you lay still in the grass, all coiled up and hissin!” Odion was walking toward him now, his mouth slightly ajar.

Lani swallowed and continued, never taking his eyes off of Odion. “And though I know all about those men, still I don’t remember. Cause it was us baby, way before them and we’re still together.” Lani rose a hand and grinned at Odion, who now had a bright red coloring. These were more than lyrics, Lani didn’t know how to be poetic on his own but this… “And I meant, every word I said. When I said that I love you, I meant that I love you forever.

“And I’m gonna keep on loving you! ‘Cause it’s the only thing I wanna do. I don’t wanna sleep, I just wanna keep on lovin’ you!” Lani hoped off the stage and took Odion in his arms and kissed him with all of the words he couldn’t articulate. A few cheers went up around them and now Lani pulled back his face just as red as Odion’s.

Taking Odion’s hands in his Lani took up the chorus again. “And I mean every word I said. When I said I love you, I mean that I love you forever!” He held Odion’s hands to his heart. “And I’m gonna keep on loving you! ‘Cause it’s the only thing I wanna do. I don’t wanna sleep, I just wanna keep on lovin’ you! Hey, I’m gonna keep on loving you! ‘Cause it’s the only thing I wanna do. I don’t wanna sleep, I just wanna keep on lovin’ you.”

Lani could barely breathe, his heart racing. Odion’s eyes were wide with surprise and warm with love and he was speechless, his mouth gaping open and closed as if he were searching for the right words. As the band finished out the last chords and the crowd applauded, Lani was already alone in his world with Odion, “Happy birthday,” he whispered and Odion closed off all other words with a kiss.

[Odion Martins]

Before The Breakup

“We went to England first,” Lani supplied, wondering if speaking would assist Odion’s power. The telekinetic found himself smiling, “You threatened to throw me out the window if I kept talking about how high we were.” The memory was as fresh as if it had happened yesterday:

“Right,” Odion said in agreement, “we were going to test how well your telekinesis really worked…” But more importantly, this was working.

He and Odion had boarded and Lani took the window seat, watching out the window with excitement. Odion had only looked sick the whole time. From the point at which they entered the plane, Odion was jumpy. Lani’s taken Odion’s hand as they taxied and started to lift off. Lani recalled suggesting Odion look out the window at the ocean below and the time turner had looked positively sick. They hadn’t let go of each other until they touched down in England where everyone clapped. It was only customary considering they had crossed an ocean to get here, and everyone was still in one piece.And there the adventure began. Tracing through the streets of France. Lani had balked at the canals of Venice and they’d both broken a few ‘breaking and entering’ laws in a Germany.

The memories were like flashes, but wherever he looked they were smiling, holding hands, laughing. There were other memories, little fights. Odion’d annoyed Lani about a sudden change in the ‘Master Plan’ and they’d bicker, or Lani’d blunder some custom and embarrassed the hell out of the native European. They were all small, all endearing.

It had been quite easy to be together. And nobody knew them. As Lani spoke, his memories served to show that he had become quite a different person in Europe. He was almost, carefree. And yes, there were conflicts, but mostly Odion smiled and even laughed at some of the memories, his heart warming at the hearth of them, all the while knowing that a bomb would soon be dropped at any moment.

Then the night Lani could never forget, only a few nights before the infamous one. Lani’d taken hold of Odion and didn’t let go, telling the time turner that this time, he didn’t want to stop. They’d been so vulnerable together and…

Lani’s face flushed and he ducked his head before peaking up at Odion. Had Odion forgotten about that as well?

The setting wasn’t what Odion thought it was going to be, but something told him it wasn’t as impossible as it seemed. They were together, alone, and everything was being touched. Odion’s heart wrenched as the memory unfolded and Lani looked away. How could he have ever wanted to forget this? Odion looked on, and though Lani had ceased to speak, Odion was enlightened by his own mind, reliving that special night on his own. Odion didn’t dare say anything, only remained still as he remembered what it had been like to be with the love of his life in the most intimate way. His free hand wiped over his face, stopping to cover his mouth lest he turn into sobs.

The memory continued as they cuddled up close to one another under the starry night of Scotland. He had asked Lani if he had been his first and Lani flushed in response. Lani knew Odion hadn’t meant it in a cruel way and as he turned to face Odion, the redhead said he hoped Lani would be his last.