Oh the Places You'll Go (OPEN!)

[Lani Hunter]

Lani slid out of his seat and silently swung his bag over his shoulder and walked down the steps of the auditorium like lecture hall to turn in his test. He gave a charming smile to his elderly professor. He was a tall thin man with glasses that took up the majority of his face. Lani handed it over and wished the old man a good weekend. The man smiled returning the sentiment and Lani slipped out the doors. Lani was really enjoying the atmosphere of these classes. They were a lot more lax than at Hammel but Lani really hadn't realized how much his year or so of failure after his power had first erupted had hurt him. Then in his victory lap last year he couldn't get the motivation started to actually try much harder, besides he had a reputation to uphold. The good thing about here was that it was a fresh start.

He emerged and squinted at the white landscape. The snow had started early this year and it had settled nicely and wasn't looking to go anywhere until spring. Over the summer Lani had had to do a lot of work convincing the math and physics departments to let him test out of the intro classes. They'd been skeptical but when he aced mechanics and electromagnetism they'd let him slide. Though they made it very clear that he was expected to pass all of his classes with flying colors. And so far it was so good. He was honestly glad for the start to the semester and it was hard now to imagine that finals were just around the corner. Odion had left him in Europe and now Lani felt directionless. It was partially in the idea that he wasn't quite sure what he was going to do with his life. He hadn't decided if he wanted to be a career criminal because he'd worked so hard to get away from the mob and he didn't want to risk getting under someone else's thumb, but he hadn't decided on not doing that either. Truth be told, the whole 'turning himself around' thing was harder than he anticipated and like most things, when they got hard Lani was hard pressed to try.

Old habits die hard and the idea of stealing for a living got more appealing each day. Besides he wasn't sure he had any other skills besides stealing. The directionless feeling was translated into the classes Lani was taking. He had a spattering of math and sciences classes with a mix of required English and a philosophy class. The fact that Odion wasn't here was still a hard thing to deal with but Lani was finding that so long as he kept the redhead off his mind his heart was healing quite nicely behind its walls. Lani smiled and waved at a friend as they passed. He had gotten out of the test earlier than he had anticipated and he waded through the shallow snow to the building a little way across campus.

He blew out a puff of steam and smiled. It was starting to dawn on him that he was happy and he wasn't having to force it. There was a deep wound in his heart but the depression was gone. It was a good feeling. It had been a few months now and he felt pathetic because some nights he still sank into tears, but they were fewer. He pushed back his hood as he entered the building and shivered off the last of his chill before settling on a bench. Lani had been intending to do some work but his thoughts were running away with him. What was he going to do now? He had made such plans and now those plans were shattered. He needed a new plan because he was wandering in the wilderness. He leaned back against the wall and stared at the ceiling and without meaning to started to employ the tactics of meditation that he'd been taught. It was helping with his power and Lani hoped that at this rate he'd had full control come the end of next year, even of the terrifying union with his power. Meditation was like taking a nap and he always felt refreshed afterward.

A sweet sound drifted into his ears and he cracked an eye open. He always forgot that this building shared the small practice theater. Curiosity always kills the telekinetic so he slipped out of his trance, grabbed his bag, and crept to the door. He peered through the window, there was indeed someone inside. The room was small enough where if he went in he would most certainly disturb them. Besides they probably wanted privacy. Lani slid to the floor close enough to listen but far enough away to happen to have just chosen that random spot. The hallway was quite empty so the voice traveled well it was easy to eavesdrop. A couple a few yards away also deemed Lani insignificant as they started to argue in hushed voices. Lani hid a smile expertly. Being invisible was a skill he had trained and now it was as easy as breathing. He was as insignificant as the wall he leaned against. He let his eyes slide shut and he just listened blocking out the bickering in favor of the song. Without thinking he started humming along, an unconscious action. He'd never be careless enough to sing where someone might hear.

[Ricio Miller]

Ricio didn't mind the winter. At least he didn't mind the cold, although sometimes the wet that came with snow could be annoying. Speaking of the snow, he didn't mind that either. He actually loved the beauty and stillness it gave the town. It was nice to have everything quiet. Still sometimes the winter could be a little too quiet. No many people shared his feelings towards the temperature so few braved the harsh Vermont winters. Those that did were usually in a rush and didn't often stop for a chat with the man sitting up against a wall somewhere smoking a cigarette or playing a harmonica.

Though people were also a tad more generous this time of year. Whether it was the holiday spirit, the weather, or something else entirely Ricio didn't know. But he wasn't about to discourage it. His coffee can for tips was never empty for long. And at least once a day someone offered to give him a hot beverage or some sort.

Still it was a bit lonely, so Ricio spent more and more time out walking around. He'd even broadened his usual sleeping grounds to include out as far as the community college. He'd found that the younger generation has less of a problem with the cold. Either because of their vitality or because they were leaving a party and warmed up by alcohol perhaps.

He's actually spent the night before on the campus grounds and was still wandering around the area. Most of the security guards and staff knew him (even if not by name) so they knew he wasn't there to cause trouble and usually let him be. He was also drawn to the sound of music coming from one of the buildings. As he approached it, he saw a familiar face. But the boy had already entered the building before Ricio got there.

It might have been a tad stalker-ish, but Ricio was desperate for company. So he walked from window to window looking for the boy. Finally spotting him, Ricio knocked softly on the window. "Hey Hunter," he said pretty sure that's how the boy had introduced himself when they'd met. Still he wasn't sure they boy would be able to hear him through the glass, so he waved and smiled as well before pointing towards the direction of the door that Hunter had entered. He then walked that way, sitting on a bench just outside the door under an overhang to wait. He lit up a cigarette, hoping Hunter would join him

[Lani Hunter]

It had been a long time since Lani had run into Ricio. Lani supposed that a little more effort would have fixed that but the last time they’d met Lani hadn’t gotten a phone number or anything, and he wasn’t altogether sure that Ricio had a phone. Lani just hoped that he was staying warm as best he was especially with the cold weather outbreak. It was almost a dismissive though, Ricio was a smart guy, Lani assumed he would have the sense to get in out of the weather before something terrible happened. Lani’d be willing to open his door anytime to the outdoorsman if he needed. He was a stronger man than Lani if he was out in this chill. Lani was bundled under a hat, coat, gloves and scarf and yet the wind was still wiggling its way through to chill his skin.

Lani dozed easily allowing the building’s heat to warm him. It was a few moments before he felt warm enough to take off his beanie and gloves. He kept the scarf wrapped around his neck and snuggled into his jacket as the tune soothed his mind and he was able to feel relaxed. It was a new life for Lani, a new way to define himself. He was surrounded by people he loved more often, he found, than he had realized he had had. The breakup had been terrible and the weeks following hard, but there was a seed of optimism growing in Lani as life started to move on. He was free, in many ways. He was free of his boss and free of Odion. He wasn’t looking for anything romantic for a long while, if ever again. Love was too painful, he had decided and he was very content with keep people at arm’s length.

Not sure if he was dreaming or not Lani started at a knock. Instinct snapped his head in the direction of the noise. He squinted past the mild frost on the window and any sense of malicious expectation vanished. He smiled and returned the wave. Lani’s brow creased as he saw Ricio’s lips move but he couldn’t hear the other man through the glass very well. The pointing he understood and Lani rose from the bench leaving the curious music behind and pulling on his gloves and hat moved to the door to brave the snowy campus again. He didn’t really understand what Ricio had against the indoors, but then again that wasn’t really his business. Not unless Ricio happened to get sick, then Lani would declare it necessary to get out of the cold. He braced himself as he pushed open the door and looked around a moment before finding Ricio on a bench.

“Hey Ricio,” Lani said holding out his hand in greeting, “How’s it going?” Lani took a seat next to the vagabond and wrinkled his nose at the scent of the cigarette. It made the old scar on his neck tingle with a phantom memory. Ever since that fight where he’d gotten burned he hadn’t been able to abide cigarettes very well. Then again, he’d gotten into a… well it wasn’t a fight… more of a competition and gotten burned by that pyrokinetic. Though his hands didn’t twitch away from a fire nor did his chest burn when he was around the pyrokinetic. It was strange. Perhaps it was the relative harmlessness of cigarettes that hid both the danger of heat and lung damage. Lani shivered a tad, “I hope you’ve been finding ways to stay warm.”

[Ricio Miller]

Ricio hadn't been exactly seeking the boy out, he didn't even know the kid went to the college. Still, he had been keeping an eye out for him. It wasn't often that Ricio had good conversations with strangers so that when he did, he kept an eye out for them again. It was the closest to commitment Ricio came.

Besides, he had more than once wondered what the kid was up to. When they last talked Ricio had a feeling that the kid was going to end up biting or more than he could chew. And while Ricio would never rat on someone, he did wish that Hunter found a more creative and less illegal outlet for himself.

Ricio wasn't too bundled, at least no more than his usual year-round attire. Although he could not feel temperature, he could still feel texture. So he'd become a little obsessed with the comfort of layers and soft clothing. He had a beanie hat on at the moment, but that was mostly to keep his hair out of his eyes and away from his lighter. He didn't often wear gloves, they got dirty too easy and were often in the way.

"Hunter!" Ricio said as the boy walked out the door, he couldn't keep the excitement out of his face and voice. "I'm great! But how are you? Going to school here?" He smiled, forcing himself to shut up for a bit so he didn't sound like too much of a creeper.

He noticed the kid's reaction to the cigarette. He tried to remember back to when he'd first met the boy but couldn't remember the kid acting like that around his smoking before. Although he had, like most Ricio came across, told the man that smoking wasn't exactly good for his health. "This bother you?" he said, holding up the cigarette, because he could put it out if needed.

[Lani Hunter]

Looking at Ricio made Lani cold. He was snuggled under so many layers that he was only harshly reminded of the cold when the wind blasted the exposed skin of his face. He didn’t know how Ricio did it, Lani was very slow sometimes and didn’t think that it might be some form of meta human power. Ricio’s assumption were indeed correct. Lani had bitten off a large chunk, so much so that it had turned on him and choked him until he had to spit it out. The action that made a terrifying reality for him. He couldn’t hide from his problems any longer. Things had slowly gotten out of hand and he was busy getting them back in order. All when his emotional security and sanity was on unstable footing.

That didn’t mean that it had to show on Lani’s face. He was maybe a little more jumpy than usual and old memories were constantly on mind and constantly haunting him. He was sifting through them and it was getting easier to block them out. He just wanted to forget and remember the present when he was happy. Things were looking up, he had started his path on the right road. Not all may agree that everything he was doing was smart or that it was wise but Lani was looking to have something to fall back on when age or injury finally forced him to step back from his life of crime. But before then Lani wanted to pull something spectacular off. He was looking to learn new skills and get that one last big show before he bowed out of the crime sphere. Well, the active crime sphere, once in, Lani was learning, there was no way out.

Lani smiled glad to see the older man. “I’m good,” he looked back at the building and winced, “Yeah,” drawled as though he didn’t want to admit it, he chuckled dispelling the idea, “I figured I should probably do something to keep myself out of trouble, eh?” He laughed. Out of trouble, right ‘cause that was a think that Lani was good at. It was strange being such a poor student to come back to school. It was so much different then high school and he was determined to do well. Anyone who doubted his drive should compare high school to now. That year when he’d given up on school had hurt him a great deal more than he anticipated and he was trying to make it up now. He was now dedicating the same sort of effort to his power and even that was paying off in little bits and pieces.

Blinking in confusion Lani shook his head. “Do what you want man,” Lani replied with a shake of his head. He didn’t condone smoking. Smoking was a terrible habit and though it may not have terrible immediate ramifications it was a slow murderer. It was a little shiver nothing that was going to destroy him. He was good at reading people and he didn’t think that Ricio was going to attack him with the burning end of a cigarette. Just because his scar itched didn’t mean anything more than a physical memory. “What have you been up to? I hope you've been getting in out of the cold.” Lani didn’t go looking for Ricio but he did keep an eye out for him if he was walking about. Maybe their wanderings just hadn’t caused their paths to cross. Lani had since made a great ruckus at the bank from the last time they had spoken and he had safely hidden away a great deal of cash which he was working through a Launderer who had provided Lani with documentation for a fake job and therefore fake paycheck to put into the bank under a name not his own.

[Ricio Miller]

Ricio had been without the ability to feel temperature for so long that he often forgot it was the normal way to feel. This time of year it was almost humorous to see others walking around bundled up like Eskimos. Still behind the humor was jealousy. Ricio had forgotten what it felt like to enjoy a warm cup of coffee or the heat of another person's hand in his. If he tried hard, he felt like he could almost picture what it had been like. But even wondered if the memory was something his imagination had just came up with to fill the empty spot. Did the cold really feel that harsh to other people? It was like trying to remember pain. Sure a person could remember that something had hurt, but remembering just how much was tricky.

If there was something different about him, Ricio would have a hard time seeing it. Granted he'd only interacted with the boy once, and that was only for a short time. Added to that, the young blonde hadn't exactly been comfortable in their last conversation since he was half ready to run away for most of it. Still Ricio recognized the chuckle the boy gave at his drawn out answer. "That's good Hunter," Ricio said. "That's really great." He didn't want to see weird, but he couldn't help but feel proud of the kid. And he hoped that maybe his talk had some role in his decision, no matter how small.

Of course, Ricio's own schooling hadn't turned out as planned. He had considered trying to find someway to finish his degree at first. Maybe to just get his Associates. But it had proved a hopeless endeavor. There weren't many outdoor schools. At least not that Ricio knew of. And now, well the whole idea just seemed pointless for him personally. He was doing just fine without a degree, or really a constant job. Still he could see the merits for others to get an education. "Just make sure ya do something good with it. Stay true to yourself, ya know?" He added. He'd had to see the boy turn into one of the upper class stiffs that he stole from.

Ricio smiled at the last statement. It was basically his life rule. Of course he sometimes argued that people didn't really know what they wanted and therefore couldn't be trusted to obey it. But for himself, he thought it worked out just fine. He knew it was a bad habit. His siblings had told him so countless times. But he figured everyone should be allowed one vice. And it wasn't like he was hurting anyone else.

"Eh, the cold don't bother me none," Ricio said, shrugging and smiling. Although it was annoying that the cold kept away everyone else, even that was survivable. "And this snow makes for some fun if ya have the time." And since Ricio did, he often would spend the day creating a snow sculpture, usually somewhere near the main part of town people could enjoy it. He hoped that it gave them something to smile about. "How about you, up to anything...interesting?" Yes that was Ricio not so subtle way of asking just how much the kid was trying to follow the straight and narrow. Not that Ricio would be too judgmental.

[Lani Hunter]

Honestly if Lani could do without feeling the cold he would be rather happy with the whole deal. Anything to keep his nose from running and potentially getting him into trouble. He didn’t like the numbness that sometimes invaded his toes and fingers. He tried to avoid letting it bother him but if he wanted to steal something in winter he couldn’t very well do it if he had to be bundled until he couldn’t move. That just wouldn’t do. The best Lani got was a thick pair of pants and a tight fitting sweater usually of the black variety. At least he was already wearing gloves and a hat but sometimes the thick fabric was not enough to keep the biting wind from invading each and every hole. Then there was the issue of snow, if there was snow it may in fact be easier for the thief to wear a variation of white and gray. Lani was an expert but it was a little annoying.

Lani smiled a bit and shrugged. Not everyone had an idea of what would be good but the arrest and trial had been a bit of a wake up call. And a reason to be more cautious and plan more extensively. He hadn’t pulled anything big recently he was waiting until things cooled down a tad. Protection or not he was a thief and they knew it and he knew it and they would be dying to get anything on him. The fact that he was in the system definitely put a damper on his work, but then again gloves were a brilliant thing. Admittedly it did add an element of excitement to his work. How frustrating it must be, Lani thought, to think that anything before this was wiped away and that they had no proof to get him on anything else. “I suppose so,” Lani agreed, he knew that Ricio knew he was at the very least a pickpocket but he had not admitted to it then and he wouldn’t admit to it now but they could speak in code. “Not as fun though.” He laughed a bit.

He wondered if Ricio had ever gone to school or if he had just decided that traveling was more important. Lani still couldn’t fathom why someone with Ricio’s freedom decided to stay in Pilot Ridge. Hell, if Lani did have Hammel strictly declaring he had to keep coming back for power training and if he didn’t have a little makeshift family here he would have flown to the wind a long time ago. Lani’s smile faded slightly and his eyes trailed to the pavement. “I’m not gonna make any promises,” Lani replied, how could he possibly stay true to himself when he didn’t even know who he was? Instead of expressing that Lani looked back up and smiled, “But I’m not gonna give into the man if that’s what you mean.” He laughed a little at the idea. Lani loved nothing more than fighting ‘the man’. There had been a great deal of changes in Lani’s life since he’d last spoken to Ricio and it was hard to say anything about himself beyond that. He wanted to keep living for something but he didn’t know what besides what he had always lived to fight against.

“Seriously?” Lani asked and rocked a bit tucking his chin into his scarf and shivering a bit, “You must have thicker skin than me then. You know in one of my classes we were talking about snow, apparently the freezing is actually a warming action,” he shrugged unsure if he bought that, “Maybe that’s why snow’s more pleasant than just plain cold.” A very slight warming but still a warming action. That had probably blown Lani’s mind a little bit but in the sense of energy it made sense, energy was taken out of a system to freeze it and the energy has to go somewhere. Lani gave a sly grin to Ricio and let out a little chuckle. Interesting. Well that was an understatement. “That, Ricio, would depend on what you meant by interesting.” A great deal of things happened but interesting, well nothing he would find interesting in the sense that he would want to repeat it. “What about you? Seen anything interesting recently?”

[Ricio Miller]

One of the downsides of Ricio's ability was that his body was consistently adjusting to the temperature around him. And this made it hard for him to deal with infections or even the common cold. Though at the moment he did have a minor case of the sniffles, it hadn't developed into anything worst that and Ricio hoped it wouldn't. Being sick meant doctors. And doctors didn't usually treat people on the street. Except Dr. Nik of course, though he wasn't sure if her healing went past cuts and broken bones.

True, the kid had never exactly come out and admitted to picking pockets. Ricio had gone back and forth between debating whether that meant that the boy was new at it, and therefore extremely nervous about anyone discovering him. Or that he had been doing this for a while and just knew that narcs could be anyone anywhere. Ricio knew he hadn't done a perfect job of convincing Lani that he wasn't about to turn him in. Which was why he wasn't surprised when the boy continued to speak in code. He started laughing, realizing Lani might take it the wrong way, but unable to stop himself all the same. "Yeah I'm sure it's less interesting," he said, catching his breath. "Professors aren't really big on throwing you in the tank for the night if ya don't turn in an assignment."

Admittedly Ricio had never been much of a thief. And when he had stolen before it was usually something he really needed, like food. Even then he'd never been good at keeping a straight face and was often caught.

Ricio had went to college, but only for one semester. And he didn't even really finish that semester. By this his claustrophobia had become too extreme for him to deal with things like classrooms. And since his fears weren't something he enjoyed discussing, he didn't bring up that he'd been to college a lot either. Most people assumed he'd always been a drifter and that had always been his plans, so he let them. Truthfully, it hadn't been the easiest of transitions and for the first few months he had tried to come to terms with his fears so he could pursue a different lifestyle. But now, he couldn't see why he'd ever wanted anything else.

"You sure are one cautious kid, ya know?" Ricio said, grinning. From the way this kids danced around when answering a question and avoided the flat out truth, Ricio was beginning to wonder if Lani had a bit too much paranoia. "I"m glad to hear you're not going to give into the man anytime soon, but ya ever give into anyone else? Like open up?" True, Ricio had no real place asking Lani this. Heck, this was only the second time he'd ever conversed with him. Still if those conversations were any sort of judgement Ricio worried for the boy. It might help to learn who you were on your own, but no man is an island. Even Ricio had people he needed, like the people who ran the soup kitchen. And his brother.

"Yeah, it's my thing," Ricio answered, grinning. He was pretty sure Lani was a meta. After all on their first encounter the kid had done something with the wind or whatever. "Really? Huh." Ricio said, cocking his head to one side and taking a deep drag from his smoke. He really didn't think about the weather's affect on the temperature anymore. Sometimes it was only when he looked a other people, and they was they dressed, that he realized there was a change at all.

"Interesting, ya know, something to write home about," Ricio said, giving his vague definition. "I see lots of interesting things. Helps to have an artistic eye," he smiled and gestured to the snow around them. The way it fell and reflected the light. The way it clung to the tree branches or melted into icicles. All of these were "interesting" to him.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani’s smile faltered a bit. Having spent a night in jail, or rather most of the night since Dr. Neville had been kind enough to bust him out. Being in a cage for even a minute was a painful experience for Lani and the mention of it even offhand didn’t sit well with him but he laughed quickly to cover any discomfort he might have shown and then exaggerated a gag to show his distaste for the subject. “It’s a damn good thing too. I tell you what, some of these professors have definitely been out of the real world too long and they seem to have lost an idea of what’s important.” He shook his head. He loved his philosophy class but it was frustrating that there were people who just sat and wondered about things but didn’t seem to want to do anything about it.

“It’s interesting though, tedious sometimes.” Lani said with a shrug. It was at least good that he didn’t actually have to be in class if he didn’t want to. There were very few of his classes that actually kept attendance and the ones that didn’t were the ones that were challenging enough that he loved going to them. The ones that did take attendance usually involved Lani stumbling in as role was called and dozing in the back. Some professors just droned on and on and on. Some of it was interesting but most of it honestly, wasn’t very important. The problems they worked in math were monotonous and the talks in English were painfully obvious and repetitive. The talks in philosophy got hysterical sometimes. There are always those who have minds too closed to accept anything but their own view and they often fought the hardest and got destroyed the most often.

Lani sat for a moment and watched the snow covered ground shift as wind blew across the icy surfaces. So much had changed in a few short months and Lani was still trying to absorb the pain and the healing that had followed. He shivered a little and crossed his arms and tucked his gloved hands under his arms for warmth. This year his walls had gotten harder and his heart colder. The pain had been too much to bear and so he had shut it all out. His heart had to be well protected. And now that they’d almost taken stealing from him he’d been more careful and more cautious about what he said and where he was. Where he might be careless about his face before, now he controlled cameras and sharpened his skills. He’d let few people in and even among those he was afraid to trust. He’d loved and trusted and been burned and he was as quick to learn as if it were his hand on a hot pan.

Lani mimicked the grin and shrugged. He wasn’t going to be arrested again. Ever. He’d been training with and without his power running and making split second decisions. He even went back to the mall and recreated the event in his head and practiced and practiced until he had a million ways to not be cornered again. He’d had a wakeup call and he was not going to be caught unaware physically or emotionally. Lani’s brow creased in confusion. Why would he give into anyone? Why would he open up to anyone? No one cared about a thief. Adrianna was there but she had enough problems of her own for him to add onto it. He hugged himself tightly as if strengthening the shield. His eyes wandered away and he forced a smile on his face his mask slipping on like a glove. “I’ve got friends other than you,” he said jokingly. He was a Hunter, after all, and Hunters didn’t show pain, Hunters didn’t cry. And Hunters didn’t need any help. Lani had though, he had needed a lot of help. That was a subject of shame in his eyes. Shame that he had opened up and been hurt. No, he would never let that happen again.

Lani raised a brow with interest, they could both speak in code. “Like lifting things is my thing?” He said using a double entendre for his power and thievery. He was pretty sure that Ricio wasn’t a thief, he was way too expressive to be a good thief, but that was just Lani’s professional opinion. Unless of course he was playing it like Lani and fooling people into thinking he was bad at hiding his emotions. Ricio probably had a point, Lani was way too paranoid. But then again, fool Lani once, never fool him again.

With a shrug Lani and hummed with thought. “Not really, I mean honestly it’s been a little boring,” he lied. There had been a lot going on and Lani just didn’t feel like getting into the details and painting the horrible person he knew he was for Ricio to see. The painter would probably paint Lani’s face. “Right, I forgot, how’s that going?” He asked eager to have the conversation moved away from him and in a new direction. Lani hated feeling like he was under a microscope. “You gotta let me know if you ever get your stuff up on a wall or something and I’ll check it out.”

[Ricio Miller]

(((sorry this is SOO late))

Ricio had to laugh a Lani's description of the professors at the college. He'd always flet that was one of the reasons people were so unhappy or stressed these days. Everyone was so busy and freaking out about things that were so unimportant. But whenever Ricio tried to jump on his soap box and tell them that, they called him a lunatic or worse. "I hope not all of your teachers are homework crazed mono-toned lecturers." Ricio had dealt with one or two of those in his short time at college. "I'm sure a smart kid like you is handling it okay." Ricio gave the boy a smile.

Although he understood that street smarts and books smarts didn't always go hand in hand, he had a feeling this kid would be okay in either situation, even if he wasn't exactly up for being chained to a desk for too long.

Ricio noticed the boy tucking his hands under his arms. At first he wondered if maybe the kid was getting all nervous around him again. But finally it occurred to him that the young man was also shivering. He almost laughed. There was snow everywhere and the boys breath was coming out in puffs of white air. "You getting too cold?"

"Glad to hear it," Ricio said, laughing a bit. And really he was. Ricio had never been a very good friend. Not that he didn't care or wouldn't help in any way he could. He just wasn't consistent enough.

Ricio didn't catch the doubleness of the kid's statement at first. He started to nod along before it sunk in and then started to grin. Yeah this kid was a smart cookie, he wasn't going to have any trouble with this whole college thing as long as he stuck with it and didn't get distracted with his "extra curricular activities."

"Well I'm sure a smart kid like you knows how to keep yourself busy," Ricio said, though he really did hope that the boy had found more productive ways to spent his time. "I try to keep an eye out for ya next time I have some work to show off."

A sudden burst of cold air ruffled the boy's hair and Ricio started to feel bad about keeping him out here so long. "Are you freezing Hunter?" Yes, Ricio still thought that was the kids first name. Though he did wonder about it since the kid was a bit paranoid and all.

((sorry this is a little lacking, but i'm thinking wrap soon?))

[Lani Hunter]

((No worries at all!! And I think this is about wrapped up as well.))

It was agreeable that most professors thought that they knew what was most important and Lani knew most people could agree at least to a point, not a lot of people around these parts had to struggle to survive. Granted Lani had never had to struggle to survive but he knew that life was short and his sister had almost been taken away from him so young, so no he didn’t think that grades were as important as most people did. “Nah, my philosophy teacher is pretty awesome,” Lani replied and Lani was about to elaborate but he dropped into laughter when Ricio called him smart. Ricio didn’t know the half of it. Lani was a terrible student. “If you mean I’m not giving into their idea of what’s important than yes, otherwise I think you’re off the mark.” He joked pleasantly. No, Lani didn’t think he was stupid, in fact he loved learning, just not when most people taught it because it was monotonous and they took the fun out of it.

If grades were showing level of intelligence then Lani was just about average. He just didn’t care that much. He aced the tests but otherwise didn’t put in a lot of effort into something, especially something that he didn’t think was important. Like history papers. He’d read the chapter and he thought it was interesting but what purpose did it hold for him to summarize it all. Lani looked over at Ricio, “I’m okay, it’s a little chilly, but it’s winter what do you expect?” He was jealous to know that Ricio didn’t feel temperatures, that must be a nice power for living here in Pilot Ridge, but Lani couldn’t help but wonder if he was regulating his own temperature and if he was even in danger of freezing or overheating.

Lani grinned, glad his joke was received well and that Ricio didn’t react poorly. He knew some people might have. Lani considered Ricio a friend and he’d help him if he ever needed it, but Ricio also made himself hard to find sometimes. Lani wasn’t the kind of person that had a lot of friends. He had a lot of acquaintances, but as far as close friends he kept the number limited and well protected. Lani quirked a brow and an impish grin crossed his face as he saw Ricio put the pieces together. “I keep busy,” Lani confirmed, sometimes with studies and other times with other things, it really depended on whatever struck his fancy for the day or the hour. Lani still wasn’t any closer to getting a paying job of any sort to pay his rent so there were things he still had to do, and he honestly still found it fun and wanted to see how long he could do it before he got either too old or too unable.

A shiver passed through Lani the wind picked up suddenly and Lani couldn’t help but nod. It was a very cold, very harsh winter. “Yeah, I guess I’m not so durable as you are. I don’t suppose I can talk you into coming inside, can I?” Lani asked cocking his head to the side. He still had plenty of time before his class started but he was also freezing his tail off and getting sick would do nothing but make Lani’s life miserable, he had too much to do to get sick. Lani enjoyed talking to Ricio but he was also someone who liked being outside, while Lani didn’t mind it, sitting here in the cold was pretty miserable, usually if he was out he was doing things physical to keep himself warm.

[Ricio Miller]

Ricio, on the other hand, knew it was it was like to struggle to survive. When he first moved to the streets things had been really hard. Sure his family, especially his brother, had been around to try to help out, but he had avoided them as much as possible. There version of helping was to get him back indoors. And since that hadn’t been the kind of help Ricio really needed, he had withdrew. He had worked his way across the country trying to get as far away from their “help” as he could. But it had been hard. And when life was hard, you learned what was really important.

Ricio had never been a straight A student. When he was a student at Hammel, he’d been too busy having fun to really care about getting good grades. Even then he’d felt like he knew what was important. And most things were when compared to homework. When he’d moved on to college Ricio had really started to fall apart. And that had been more important than anything.

Ricio went back and forth with his ability. Although he loved that it allowed him to live the way he did, he had to admit he missed everything that came with feeling hot and cold. The warmth in someone’s hand for example. So he didn’t see any reason for people to be jealous. But he also didn’t see any reason to point out to everyone the downfalls of his own ability either.

Seeing the boy shiver again, Ricio decided it was time to go. He wanted to swing by Honest Abe’s anyway before it closed to see if they had any handouts. “Nah, I’m good out here,” Ricio said, smiling. He didn’t think Hunter would be the type to force him to do anything, but he didn’t really want to have to come out and say no either. “I’ll catch you around kid. Just hope I don’t catch you doing anything.” He laughed, hoping the kid wouldn’t mind the joke. He waved goodbye and turned to leave. Hopefully spring would come soon. If only so Ricio would be able to have a decent conversation with people again without them being in danger of frostbite.

((wrap for Ricio))

[Lani Hunter]

That would certain make Ricio a better man than Lani, Lani didn’t have to steal anymore, but he did. No one was twisting his arm anymore. It was as much an addiction as it was a need. Well, Lani figured he was helping keep people in the police force employed at the very least. Not a whole lot of redeemable qualities existed in Lani. At least not for those law abiding citizens who didn’t see the world in shades of gray, but in blacks and whites. If there was anything Lani’d learned in his life it was that nothing was ever clean cut and clear, there was no completely good person and no completely bad person. No one was the villain in their own story.

“Alright,” Lani didn’t argue, Ricio was a grown man he could do what he wanted. He would have to seek out the vagabond when the weather turned better so they could speak some more. “Catch you around,” Lani rose to his feet and laughed, “Don’t count on it Ricio.” He said giving the man an impish grin before returning his wave. He turned back inside and shivered the last of his chill out of his bones and shook the snow off his boots and jacket. He checked is phone, he had only a few minutes until class, he was actually earlier than usual, but then he usually didn’t get out of class early from an exam. He shrugged to himself and took his seat pulling his book out and starting to read the chapter he’d neglected to finish.

He smiled to himself, he would definitely hunt down Ricio when it got warmer, if only to make sure that the man was still doing well. Lani didn’t know how Ricio did it, Lani loved his warm bed and his reclusive space, but he supposed the restless heart had different ways of showing. Ricio moved a lot, Lani stole anything he could. He looked up when the professor shuffled in and Lani tapped his pencil on the desk over the nearly empty notebook. He didn’t take a lot of notes in this class, he just enjoyed sitting in and listening and debating. Lani smiled briefly, and the professor started out his lecture with some outlandish theory and Lani’s mind focused in again.