Manipulating the Twilight (Open)

[Philomena Snow]

There were perks which came with being a lone soul. No matter what mood you were in, people habitually avoided interacting with you, and left you alone. You could ponder your thoughts day and night, and not once be disturbed. You could learn things, specific details about people that you would have otherwise neglected due to lively conversations or pointless socializations.

But... to every action there would be an equal and opposite reaction. In other words, there were pros, but they were all partnered with cons. Being alone was isolating, and if Mina didn't feel bad enough when she actually interacted with others and felt seperate, having to bear the same feeling with no support was... depressing. Being sunken deep into your own mind was fine in small doses, but in Mina's case it was disturbing. Her thoughts could easily turn sour and dark, with no way of distracting herself other than to try and forget about it, which was virtually impossible and very upsetting. And sometimes... there are just some things you pick up about those around you which you just didn't want to know.

She knew of the pros and cons, having to live with them for 6 years and counting made it simple to attain them. And every living breathing second just sunk into her mind how alone she was. So now, as the sun was setting, she had decided to join her only friends as they grew larger: the shadows.

She connected with them through her power and her emotions, she was one with them and they seemed to fundamentally accept her as one of them. Over the years of training, she found out that the only way she could work with the shadows was to treat them like equals. They were almost like ghosts in that sense, they seemed to get angry if she was too forceful or violent. They would locked her out, and enough people had done that to her, so she knew she had to be careful.

Mina was sat on a bench near the frozen lake; the sunset was gorgeous. Her dark companions stretched themselves across the landscape and sat with her. The shadow of her bench was tall and lanky; easier to play with. She bent around the edge of the bench and touched the inky black tentatively. It rippled like water at her touch, although her own shadow stayed perfectly normal. Keeping her finger connected to the shadow, she played with it's shape.

It was a lion.

Now it was five hummingbirds.

And now it was a weird vase-like object.

She let the shadow snap back to it's original shape, she could feel it's tension growing as she played with it... shadows from stone or metal objects were the worst, their shadows were so stubborn. The denser something was, the less agreeable it was.

She sat back up straight and the light continued to fade. This was the only way she felt happy, at home, or at peace. When she needed comfort, she didn't confide in a friend.

The shadows were amiable enough anyway.

[Deleted]

It was really cold. And so Naozumi was bundled up like that kid from that one movie, what was it called? The one with the B.B. gun and the lamp that looked like a leg. Nao may have been all over the internet and certainly liked television, but he wasn't one for Christmas movies and so got most of of them confused.

Anyway, it didn't really matter. The short boy was clad up all warm in his burgundy winter coat, denim jeans that were reinforced with leggings underneath, and a scarf wrapped several times over around his neck and face. Atop his head was a snug grey beanie that covered down over his ears. It was a matching set with his gloves. And in those gloved little hands was a hot hot, fresh from the oven, giant honey bun.

Mmmm....it was good.

Nao tromped through the snow like a kid, taking giant steps and sinking in deep into the white powder with every step, slowly moving towards the pond where he planned to enjoy his bun all by himself. There were so few people outside right now; it was cold, the sun was going down, people were opting to stay inside these days or at least closer to the main buildings while they built their snowmen or had their snowball fights. Nao hadn't quite made himself comfortable enough to do either of those things. Plus, he was feeling a bit homesick as the holidays grew nearer. He wasn't going to be able to return home for the holidays. His family wasn't Christian, but that didn't mean that they didn't celebrate. It was, they said, the "American" thing to do. Nao wasn't sure they really understood how little sense that made. In any case, the boy's family hadn't the finances to afford a $700+ round trip ticket from Vermont to San Jose.

He got to the pond and was met...with some kind of shadow show? It was actually quite beautiful. He almost forgot that he had a warm bun in his hands that he was supposed to be nomming on. He saw the moving shadows before he saw the girl manipulating them, even though they were clearly right next to each other. Nao took a bite of his bun. It was delicious. Silently, he took the seat next to the girl, whom he now recognized as the kind girl who had given him directions with such a lovely smile(he clearly didn't have the best memory), and took another bite of his honey bun. He didn't say anything, though.

[Philomena Snow]

The temperature had dropped down thanks to the darkness and the time of year, yet Mina's apparel was limited, consisting only of a top, some leggings and a pair of boots, all black. She had always dealt well with the sharpness of the cold, it was heat she couldn't deal with. It was too... overwhelming, intense. Not her kind of thing.

Mina didn't know what to think of Christmas. It was fine for her, her mother only lived a short way away from the school, in Pilot Ridge. She had decided to opt for a dorm when she came to Hammel, though. She wanted to get away from that house. Her sister, Kathryn, had decided to stay living in the house, for simplicity. It was tolerable to be there for her, but for Mina, it was just a reminder of everything bad.

Once she released her shadow, she looked for another. Sadly, a lot of them were bound to nature, trees, flowers, things like that. Since those were attached to sentient beings, or at least living ones, their shadows were technically sentient too, and wouldn't allowed her to mould them around her desires. It would be like trying to tame a lion, it wasn't gonna happen unless you were extremely lucky or talented. If she tried to touch the shadow (and she knew this from experience), it would be repelled away from her. Like displacing liquid, it would flow away, somewhere else, until she had seperated herself from it.

She heard someone bite into something crunchy, but she wasn't phased. She was amazed she hadn't smelt some hot chocolate or coffee or something by this point, hot drinks were usually extremely popular around this time of year.

Hm. That was odd.

She felt a slight warmth radiate onto her side. She swivelled her head to look. She didn't really react to the boy, except for quirking a confused and slightly irritated expression in his direction. She took in his features and her lips parted slightly. It was that ignorant little twerp from Chemistry, the one who had difficulty with noticing anything, it seemed. She heaved out a sigh and turned her body away from him. She had to admit, being near somebody else was nice... but it was also extremely bothersome.

She went back to her shadows. There was no use trying to persuade one of the living ones to join her, so she made her own. She used to only be able to make shadows against something, like the ground or a wall, but she had discovered a few months ago that she could make a floating shadow that would levitate above her hand. When it came to her shadows, her eyeline acted as a light source. She had to be looking at the shadow at all times, otherwise, it would dissapate.

She remembered how to conjure up the shadow, and did it gracefully. She cupped her hands together, so they made a ball. Her fingers were so cold, like icicles attached her her body. She made an opening in her cupped hands and leaned forward, putting her mouth over the opening, and then she blew, as if she was trying to reignite some ashes on an old campfire. She gave it a few huffs until some flickers of shadow seeped between the cracks in her fingers. Leisurely, she pulled her hands apart and kept her right one slightly cupped, the ball of shadow following it and becoming stable once her hand was flat and horizontal. It was delicate, small wisps occasionally freed themselves from the structure. It was probably just about the size of a tennis ball, without the solid spherical structure. She stroked the ball carefully and twisted it, shaping it to her desire, until it was a hummingbird. Once she removed her hand, the shadow became animated, but stayed on the spot. The bird looked around and flapped it's wings continuously. The imitation in front of her looked very similar to the small bird tattooed beneath her thumb. And this was one of the few things that made her happy.

[Deleted]

Nao hadn't come over there with purpose, merely to find a place to enjoy his honey bun. He took another bite. If he didn't finish it quickly, it was going to get cold. Cold food was good too, but not for a honey bun. That just made it hard and stiff. Not chewy and gooey.

He peered over at the girl who had turned her back to him. Companionship was welcome which was why he opted to sit next to the shadow girl instead of on one of the other vacant benches scattered around the courtyard and pond area. Naozumi didn't need much, he didn't even need conversation, just presence was nice while he got lost in his own thoughts.

But often, Nao's curiosity in other people got the best of him and he would poke his nose into places where it wasn't welcome. He couldn't be certain that this girl didn't want him there. He figured if she wanted to be alone then she would have left to find another place of solitude. So perhaps his company was more welcome than her body language seemed to indicate? Anyway, his curiosity in the girl and what she was doing captured his attention and peered over her shoulder to silently watch the shadows dance and form on her hand.

Nao smiled when it finally took the shape of a hummingbird and began to move as though real. It was very pleasing to watch.

He took another bite of his honey bun.

[Philomena Snow]

As much as she was furious with him before, Mina was relaxed about the boy's presence now. He was being respectful of her and her personal space, and her silent manner. Whether those actions were purposeful or not, she didn't care. She had company, and it wasn't distracting or loud, so she was glad of it.

Mina could've done with some food, she hadn't eaten since breakfast. She didn't eat any lunch, she just wasn't hungry. She still wasn't, but she knew that starving herself wasn't the way to go. She decided that once she was done here, she'd go eat some crisps, or some dragonfruit or something nutritious.

Mina was never a fan of having an audience, it made her feel pressured for no reason, but she couldn't tell whether or not the boy was tracking her every move, and that uncertainty, somehow, gave her comfort. She didn't understand why, but she didn't dare question it either. Comfort was precious, so she planned on retaining it for as long as possible.

She watched the 'hummingbird' fly for a few more moments, before avoiding eye contact with the illusion so it could dissapate. She turned back around so she was more turned towards the boy, but so that she was facing forwards, and not at him.

The light was quickly fading, only half of the sun's full circle still hovered above the horizon, creeping it's way underneath the line of sight. Once it was gone, the only shadow she could manipulate would have to be made with artificial light, and they were always more... inflexible. Tetchy. The 'fake light', as such, made the shadows produced like a cheap knockoff version of a product. Looks the same, feels the same, but if more prone to breaking than the original.

She swallowed automatically and realized how dry her tongue was. That was another thing to add to the to-do list; make some strong coffee. She hadn't had any in a while, she was probably gonna flip if she didn't have caffeine in her system sometime soon.

[Deleted]

It wasn't intentional, Nao's quiet, he was just a naturally quiet person. Much like Mina was, only with a lot more patience towards those who weren't quiet. If the person he was with wished to speak, he would listen no matter how gabby they would become. Naozumi himself, however, enjoyed the silence just as much. And in an atmosphere such as this, he wouldn't dare disturb it.

The hummingbird was fun to watch. While he'd only had his own power for a couple months, Naozumi somehow wished he had a one that had potential for such beauty. He turned his eyes outward, towards the frozen pond and watching as the glimmer from the sun slowly started to disappear and those yellow sparkles faded into a pale blue. Twilight was quickly approaching.

Nao turned his attention back to the girl who had turned forward, allowing her shadow show to cease along with her movement. Ah…that was a shame. He turned forward again, taking another bite of his bun. Naozumi silently hoped she would resume before long. Before the light completely left them.

But if that was the end, then Nao wanted to express his appreciation for her skill before she retreated back to the indoors. A tiny smile adorned his face as an idea struck him, to give her a gift that he himself would find pleasing to receive. The boy carefully broke the large bun in half - the inside was still soft and warm and it gave off a small puff of white upon hitting the cold air - and held out the confection for the girl to take.

Food always made the best gifts.

[Philomena Snow]

It was tempting, the idea of creating another shadow. Well, it always was. But Mina was concerned for the darkness, although it wasn't too tetchy today, she didn't want to make the shadows sharpen. Another problem was the fact that she didn't know what else to make; even though she could easily enough form another bird, she wanted to experiment if she was to do it again.

Philomena was glad for her ability, even though it seemed to have manipulated her more than she could ever do. Even being... as she was, she wasn't depressed, at least not most of the time. Though isolated, she wasn't lonely. Just... alone. It made her see another side of life; even with the long list of negatives she could conjure up, she was more mature, and understanding because of it. But only when she wanted to be.

She smelt the sweet scent of honey in the air and turned to look at the boy next to her, who was now... offering her some of his food. She flicked her vision from the bun up to his face and then down to the bakery treat again, before slowly taking it from his grasp. It was still warm... she admittedly didn't have the sweetest tooth, but she still appreciated the gesture. She took a bite and felt the corners of her mouth turn up ever so slightly. It was delicious, really. Made her fingers a bit sticky, but she didn't mind.

The taste gave her an idea. She took a second small bite and began creating another shadow. Once she had the base, she held up the shadow with the same hand that she held her gooey bun segment, and used her other hand to pinch out tufts of shadow, which reformed to make bees. Once she was done, there were 3 or 4 bumblebees floating above her hand. She transferred them over to her free hand and kept her eyes on them. They looked pretty adorable, if she did say so herself.

[Deleted]

Mmm. She took the bun. And she was smiling. That made Nao smile in turn. Yes, this was right. Food, especially warm food, and sweet food, was always a reason to smile. He took another bite of his half, scrunching his eyes shut in happiness while the corners of his lips were turned delicately upright.

He spend a few more minutes looking out onto the scenery. It was still beautiful, like a scene out of a video game. Which one was it? Final Fantasy something….one of them. Where they were next to a glistening lake in a forest of ice and snow. That's what it reminded him of. Hmmm…..he wanted to play video games now.

The movement of the next shadow caught his eye, and he turned to watch, his mouth gaping slightly in awe. Bumblebees! That was so cute! Enough for him to stop munching away and lean in a little closer to get a better look. As they buzzed around over the bun, and then over her other hand, Nao found he was grinning ear to ear. A stream of giggles escaped his lips, breaking the placid silence that had been shared between them.

Nao took another bite. His bun was almost gone.

[Philomena Snow]

The boy was being friendly in the way that Mina liked. You didn't need to talk to be a good person... not that Philomena here was a good person or anything, but she could be bearable when she put the effort in.

The light was doing wonderful things for the world outside, continually casting graceful shadows all around. It sparkled on the weather's remains and it was quite glorious. But Mina wouldn't compare it to a video game - her mind switched to the scenery in the film, 'Grave of the Fireflies'. They always had fireflies floating in the air... Pilot Ridge needed fireflies, it would be awe-striking.

Normally a noise such as giggling would scratch Mina's core and annoy her, but in this situation, it made her smile wider. The warm feeling that spread through her was comforting... she'd almost missed it. She laughed a little as well, a sound rare even to her own ears. Once she realized this, shocking herself a little, she covered it by taking another bite of her bun. How had this kid had such an effect on her?

Still smiling a little, she turned to him, becoming the first one to speak. "What was your name?" She wasn't going to keep up her cheeriness for long - as soon as she could suppress her smile, she would. But she was glad that someone had bothered to be nice to her, even after having her scream at them... hm.

[Deleted]

It had been a very nice evening, albeit cold, with the sun setting over the trees. Naozumi was naturally a very quiet person and his reasons for not speaking this evening was because….well, it wasn't needed, was it? If the other girl wanted to talk, then she would have, and Nao would respond in kind. For now, it was just nice.

He was a bit surprised when she did speak, however, not expecting it at all. She seemed to be the person who enjoyed the quiet, like him. Nao smiled, his dimpling cheeks rounding out with a slight prickling red from the cold. "I'm Nao," he said, then thought better to clarify. "Naozumi."

He finished off his bun. It was good and that alone kept his grin on his lips.