Open skies (Open)

[Raylaigh Hawthorne]

The alarm went off late reminding Raylaigh that sleeping until noon even on the weekends was not acceptable. It was partially his fault for letting himself stay up until odd hours of the night doing absolutely nothing productive on the internet. He stretched out and with a sigh rolled himself out of bed and crossed the room to dismiss his alarm. It was only a little after ten and Ray yawned and opened his blinds to the bright sky. He smiled widely at the sunny sky and went to his computer and pulled up the weather. It was supposed to be warm! This was fantastic! Ray stripped from his pajamas and hopped into a pair of jeans. It took a little bit of a struggle to pull the pant legs up and over his wings so that they weren’t stuck up the pant leg. He hopped a bit and nearly fell before he figured it was safer to do so sitting rather than standing. He lifted his feet a little as he fluttered his wings and smiled. The feeling of the air on his feathers was always uplifting.

He giggled and settled the dual pairs back to rest as he reached for his shoes and laced them up. He jumped to his feet pulling on a tee shirt and zipped up his dark jacket. He grabbed his keys, ran into the side of his desk, cursed, and finally made it out the door. He started down the hall two steps before he took an abrupt turn back. Raylaigh was back in and out of his room like a whirlwind and this time when he left his ipod was in hand. Ray trotted down the stairs holding his wings tightly against his legs and angled up to avoid dragging and potentially tangling his own legs in them and taking a spill down the stairs. Outside he put his earbuds in and set his ipod to his techno playlist. He felt his spirits lifted almost immediately and launched himself skyward leaving a little puff of dust in his wake. He laughed aloud and put his arms out as he kicked himself into a loop. The momentary weightlessness caused him to whoop in delight and he finally righted himself and started moving in a gliding motion.

When he wasn’t training to fly he loved just to do it. Some people loathed training with their power but Raylaigh wanted to get better and he loved nothing more than seeing what he could do. His trainer didn’t usually let him just do a lot of fun things though and he took a sort of jump and his wings propelled him upward. He still didn’t know how these miniature things did anything to help him fly but he knew without them he couldn’t fly. He dove like he was swimming and kicked his feet and sent himself spiraling in a streamline. Dizziness caught him and he had to straighten out and fly horizontally. He could go faster this way, but it was harder to steer and carefully he righted himself and allowed air resistance to slow him down and he hovered for a moment panting. His stomach growled, definitely food time. The flier glided off and slowed significantly when he came near the ground. Landing was always hard, he could either stop completely or do a running stop, neither of which he was good at.

He folded his wings against his feet and dropped the last few inches to the ground the forward momentum pushing him forward. Instinctively his wings opened to slow him but his other foot also came forward to catch his forward progress and the wing of one foot met the other foot and Raylaigh tripped forward. He windmilled his arms as he tried to catch his balance and was able to only go down to one knee and his hands. He popped back up and did a quick glance to make sure no one had seen and laughed for the benefit of those who did and waved, saying, “I’m okay!” He brushed off his hands and went into the main building to the cafeteria. He loved weekend with the breakfast food all the way until lunch. He piled his plate with eggs and a few sausage links and a biscuit. He looked out over the cafeteria and look up residence at an empty table and started to eat, he really wanted to get back outside and fly some more.

[Madison Davis]

Madison stared up at the sky of the boy who was flying shocked. The powers here the other teens had still fascinated her despite being here for about two months already.  Madison hands automatically went to the camera hanging around her neck (The camera was like her main accessory seeing how she went nowhere without it) and brought it up taking a few pictures of the boy flying.  It was so cool she couldn't help it and hoped she didn't look like a stalker if he could see her.  She wished she could fly instead of doing illusion thing. Flying would be a lot cooler. 


Deciding not to stare any longer Madison entered the cafeteria and got her food sitting down. She looked at the boy who entered he was the one flying she believed. Hey maybe I should go make a new friend since I really don't want to sit here by myself. Madison took her food and walked over to the boy with a friendly smile after he sat down. "Hi i'm Madison and that whole flying thing was wicked cool. Mind if I sit here with you"? 

[Raylaigh Hawthorne]

Raylaigh looked up at the girl who approached and immediately his face broke into a smile, her outfit was so cute! Raylaigh flushed at the compliment and shrugged his shoulders at Madison. He did agree, he thought it was the coolest thing ever but it wouldn’t do to make himself seem arrogant. “Please do,” he said with a nod to the empty chairs. “I’m Raylaigh.” He tucked his feet back under his chair, a little habit to keep his wings from getting roughed up under the table. He shifted a little and took a drink form the chocolate milk he had taken up. The doctors told him time and time again that he needed to drink more milk, or else they’d put him on calcium supplements. Which sucked ‘cause he didn’t really like the taste of milk. Good think Hammel supplied chocolate milk.

“I love your hat, by the way,” he said cheerfully. “What’s your power, Madison?” He asked interested. Some people had really cool powers, like shooting lasers from their eyes and moving things with their minds. Actually, Ray thought all the powers were cool. The fact that they existed at all was amazing, then the things people could learn to do with them. He knew his older brother was a teleporter and he definitely knew how to use his power well enough to make Raylaigh’s life hard. But one fun thing was that Ray could get out of reach of his brother, unless his brother wanted to try to teleport into the air, which might not end well.

[Madison Davis]

She sat across from the boy putting her tray on the table. "Nice to meet you Raylaigh" she said with a big smile braces and all. Without another word she lifted up her camera from around her neck and snapped a picture of the boy. She looked at the picture. " Perfecto" she said sounding out the per ironically. "I always take picture of the first time I meet someone" she explained to the boy who she assumed would be confused. "Never know when this might need to be a memorable moment". She took a bite of her food.

She touched her hat sightly. "Thanks I just got it. Oh well I guess I have the power of illusion. At least that's what they call it. I can make people see and hear things that aren't really there but if i had the chance I would rather have your power. I'm not all to good at my power and yours is a lot cooler. I would give anything to be able to fly among the birds".

[Raylaigh Hawthorne]

Raylaigh was glad he was already smiling as she reached for her camera. He was pretty sure he looked equally perplexed and happy in that photo. He had a questions forming on his tongue as she explained herself. Ray laughed and his smile restored to its former glory. “God I hope I don’t look too bad! That’s really cool,” Ray said and curiously looked at the camera around her neck, “That’s a diesel camera, are you a photographer?” He asked curiously. Ray grabbed the salt and gave his eggs a good once over before he started to eat. For as small as he was Raylaigh could really put away a great deal of food. He was tall and his metabolism was already fast, but add on the fact that he was still growing and Ray probably ate like the equivalent of a small army.

“Illusions are awesome,” Raylaigh protested, “I mean you’re literally unlimited by what you can create.” Ray waved his hands, fork and all, around the room as if to indicate that her potential was boundless. He took another bite and took a moment to drown it with milk before answering. “Okay, so I’m not gonna lie, I love it, but well, having wings on your feet is not an easy thing. You’ve also never been mobbed by crows. Not fun.” He said with a shake of his head. That had been a horrible experience and he would never get so close to a nest again. Birds might be small but they are courageous and Raylaigh might be the biggest thing in the sky but a murder of crows was scary and painful, he’d been dive bombed by a few until he flew off as fast as he could and made a rough landing. That had been an interesting injury story.

He speared a sausage and bit into it with a little smile and worked to keep his stomach from rumbling. “Wait so if you can do illusions can’t you just make the illusion of flying?” He asked around the bite he was chewing covering his mouth with a hand, because the thought just occurred to him. And he was a heathen with no manners.

[Madison Davis]

"Yes and photography is my passion" she exclaimed. "I love taking picture of beauty. Which reminds me I hope you don't mind I took a picture of you flying. I would be a bad photographer if I didn't snap that picture".

Madison frown her face at the crows comment. "Well that doesn't sound fun at all". She looked at him and shaking her head. "It's not that easy though". After biting into her pancakes Madison eyes got wide after a realization. "Oh my god it is actually that easy. I mean i'm not to good at this power stuff but it could actually be that easy. I could fly...well sort of. Ray I like the way you think". Excited Madison got up and hugged the boy and sat next to him. "Ok so you have to help me though because as far as I know in order for me to see it I have to make someone else see it. At least I think that's how it works. So I guess I also would need you to describe it so i can imagine it better. So can you help me"?

[Raylaigh Hawthorne]

Ray’s smile grew as she spoke. Anyone could tell she was indeed passionate about photography. Raylaigh wished he had something he was so passionate about. Well, besides flying. Ray laughed and covered his mouth as he did so in a little bit of shock. “You did?” Okay now he was blushing very sheepishly, he wasn’t used to someone taking pictures of him and he just severely hoped his hair looked okay. “You didn’t catch the landing did you?” He asked with worry, it was still a work in progress and it had improved a bit, only meaning he didn’t actually just smash his nose on something. Either way it was something he didn’t want documented. The nurse had given him a goal. One week, just one with no injuries.

Raylaigh nodded solemnly. “Not at all.” He repeated. He scooped up more eggs and chewed as she seemed to work through the thought. Raylaigh frowned at her initial rejection and wondered if there was any way he could help. He couldn’t lift her, he just wasn’t strong enough, and honestly the nurse would probably beat him if he brought someone else in with a Raylaigh induced injury. Ray’s smile returned easily and Raylaigh laughed in excitement, returning the hug. “I told you so! I’m a genius,” he boasted, he wasn’t. He was actually a far cry from anything that could be called a genius. He nodded along as he listened diligently. He’d never met an illusionist and he was interested to see how it worked and anyway he could help he’d be there. “Absolutely! Raylaigh at your service, Maddie!” He gave her a wink and mock saluted with two fingers.

He was about to hop up and go but there was still food on his plate. It was a terribly hard for Ray to stop his current train of thought and so he started to shovel more food in his mouth. “So, it’s kinda hard to describe but I’m gonna try,” he said between bites. He tapped his nose as he thought about it and his wings fluttered a little. “It’s very windy, you feel weightless but heavy at the same time. It’s like you have nothing under your feet but you’re not gonna fall either. I’m so excited! This is gonna be awesome!” He said forcing himself to sit still and finish his breakfast despite the fact that his feet were bouncing and his wings were stretching in excitement and anticipation.

[Madison Davis]

"No I didn't catch you landing. To bad it probably would of been a really pretty picture." She turned her camera around to show the boy the few pictures she snapped starting with the one she just took of him. "You take better surprise pictures then most people who I snap without a warning. I like how the sun looks in this one of you flying. These are going straight in my adventure at Hammel scrapbook".

She smiled at him crossing her legs on the seat. "Weightless and but heavy" she mumbled to herself. "Okay I'm ready to do this". Madison closed her eyes and breathed in and out repeating the words he said in her head trying to focus. She imagined her and Ray flying together in the sky like she seen him doing this morning. We would be way above the school with wings on both of our feet and birds flying around us, she thought. She then proceed to push what she was imagining into his head. When she opened her eyes she saw just that and smiled feeling accomplished. "Oh my god I did it! I actually did it Ray"! She couldn't believe that she actually did it. Most of the times when she tried she failed but this time she was holding it. She got so excited she started to talk really fast. "I didn't know if it would work but it did. Im flying in the air...well kind of. I mean we are still in the cafe but this is still really cool. Ray you are like my new favorite person for putting this thought in my head. We are like officially friends and their is nothing you can do about it" she joked.

In this vision she started to fly around Ray in circles really fast her fake feet wings fluttering. "You know you can control your body is my visions. Fly with me". She grabbed his hands both in the vision and in real life. 

[Raylaigh Hawthorne]

Ray laughed, “No, no it’s good you didn’t. I’m not too good at that yet.” Take off and flying was easy. Landing, not so much. Raylaigh leaned closer to look at the pictures and burst out in laughter at his face when she’d surprised him. He indeed looked like he was clueless. “Thanks,” he laughed, “I’m just naturally photogenic,” he joked miming like he was flipping his hair, his hair now was too short to do that but the muscle memory was still there. Raylaigh looked closely and smiled, he didn’t want to be a peacock but he looked pretty damn good. “Oh yay!” Ray said and nodded and pointed toward the picture she was just showing. “I’m just glad it wasn’t a close up to see my flying face.” He grabbed his face and pressed back like he was being windblown before breaking into giggles.

“Right now?” He asked his eyebrows raising and Ray for a moment had a disorienting moment and one moment he was sitting on a chair eating his eggs, he had been assuming they would travel outdoors to fly but the next moment his food was gone and Hammel was drifting away far below their feet. He had to admit he let out a little yip of fear and reached out to Madison, trying to keep himself from jumping into her lap. He relaxed when she exclaimed and he hugged her tightly, “This is amazing! You’re amazing!” He laughed and he lifted his feet off of the ground and his wings extended and he could feel the wind in his feathers and it was very hard for him to remember they were in the cafeteria. Which probably made it a good idea that she reminded him before he decided to fly up and hit his head on the ceiling. “You did it!” He said excited for her, “It’s so real! Maddie this is amazing!”

Raylaigh laughed and gave her a hug again. “I’m so excited! Yep, yep, most definitely!” He was really glad that his idea worked and was even more exciting for his new friend. Madison was definitely one of the nicest and friendliest person he had met here at Hammel and he was so happy. He couldn’t stop smiling and his mouth dropped open, so he could go rocketing upward and not smash his head on the ceiling? This was phenomenal! He linked his hands with her and did an experimental motion and glided through the air. It felt so real and he was glad to then take her hands and guide her along. “Awe your wings are so cute!” He said and fluttered his own putting himself into a stead rhythm of flight like he would normally. He honestly wasn’t sure if his wings were also picking up in the cafeteria but that was a far away memory right now. “C’mon, I’ll show you how. Like this, almost like you’re skating.” He showed her and spun with her a little bit like they were dancing. “It’s so real!” He said again in wonder.

[Madison Davis]

"Well at least I think you can. Their is a fifty fifty chance that right now your flying in the cafeteria" she admitted with a chuckle as she imagine all the confused looks they are probably getting right now. "Im still a bit new to this after all. Try imagining your flying more then doing it. I think that's how it works".

"Oh I love skateboarding"she said while she spun. Madison felt really happy. She was enjoying herself with Ray and was glad that she decided to approach him. This had been the most fun she had had since she was here.

[Raylaigh Hawthorne]

Raylaigh laughed imaging much of the same thing. “Well, they’ll get a good show, at least,” he said in good humor, so long as Maddie didn’t abandon him after making him do something stupid he’d be alright. He nodded his expression going serious as he figured that was probably important. It was so hard, it felt so much like flying he could easily believe that he was. But he guessed the shifting of weight and the wind was a little different so he would focus on that. In many ways perhaps an imperfect illusion was best because then if could be differentiated against. Also Raylaigh didn’t want to go flying about the cafeteria and risk running into a wall or the ceiling. That would hurt a lot. “So if I’m actually moving, does that mean that you would also be moving?” He asked as the thought occurred to him.

“Yeah?” Ray asked, “Me too, I’m not very good though.” He laughed and grinned at his new friend. “So Maddie, how are you feeling flying with the birds?” He asked a bright smile covering his face. This was almost as good as real flying, and hey, he had been thinking he wanted to finish his meal quickly and get back outside to fly. But he had also met a new friend as well this way. This was a good day. “Is it everything you imagined?” He asked and looked down at the earth far beneath their feet. He wished he was strong enough to take Maddie real flying. Maybe one day, but not today. Probably not in the next year, he was working on getting strong and building more muscle so he didn’t look like a walking skeleton.

[Madison Davis]

"I think when you move me I am" she said unsure. "Other then that i'm imaging myself moving so I want to say no".

"I could always teach you some move. I've been skateboarding for years". Her eyes lit up at his question. "It's super duper fantabulous" she exclaimed as some Robbins, her favorite birds, flew by. "I can only imagine what the real thing is like". She chuckled as she realized what she said. "Literally" she added.

Next thing Madison knew she got a huge headache and the illusion around them disappeared. "Ow" she said holding her head as once again they both could see the cafeteria. "Stupid powers I wasn't done yet" she muttered. She tapped her watch with her fingers while the other hand stayed on her aching head. "Well that's the longest I held a vision before" she noted. " Maybe I should try again" she said with a force smile. She wasn't going make such a big deal out of it but suddenly the pain seemed to increase.  "Ah dude my head is killing me. You don't happen to have medicine on you do you"? 

[Raylaigh Hawthorne]

Raylaigh nodded and tried to follow along but he really couldn’t make sense of what she was saying. In Ray’s mind things were moving or they weren’t, he wasn’t used to this imaginary world. Sure he daydreamed about things a whole lot but they never also felt like movement. If he were daydreaming about flying while in class, he wasn’t actually going through the motions and feeling as though it were happening. The fact that he was in the air, but in the cafeteria was still something that was blowing his mind.

Raylaigh beamed. “Would you!? I haven’t skated in forever.” He was not going to tell her that the reason for that had been two broken bones and a sprain. He hated his bones, it would be nice if he could take a hit or take a spill off of a skateboard like a normal person and get up just a little sore. No, with Ray, one wrong fall and his bones snapped like toothpicks. Ray laughed, “I wish I could take you with me,” he said honestly and made a pouting expression. It would be so nice to share the experience with someone, the rush of the wind and the exhilaration of fighting and winning against gravity. It was like being freed of the chains of earth and being given the gift of freedom.

Blinking in shock as the cafeteria suddenly appeared, Ray had to take a look around to assure himself that he wasn’t going crazy. They were here, he could feel the chair beneath him and see the food on his plate. “You okay?” Ray asked touching her shoulder and looking at her with concern. Ray smiled, “If it hurts, you should give it a bit, kay?” He said patting her shoulder. Ray winced in sympathy and shook his head, “I don’t, sorry, Maddie.” He put and arm around her shoulder and gave her a half hug. “Do you need to go to the infirmary?” Ray might complain about sore joints and how his bones were breakable but he knew that other people had it much worse.

[Madison Davis]

"No I'll be fine. It should stop in a few" Madison dismissed. "I'm not to fond of doctors anyway. I have barely been to any in my life and I know it's silly but they kind of freak me out. My mom has a lot of conspiracy's and has done a good job of scaring me of certain things. I'm telling you she would probably freak if she knew i ask you for a pill. We are herbal medicine and home remedies kind of people".

She gave him a quick hug. "Thanks for being concern though. Hey you know I could teach you now if you want. I have some boards in my dorm. That or we can go outside and I could watch you fly some more. Maybe take a few pictures or just hangout".

[Raylaigh Hawthorne]

“You sure?” Raylaigh fretted. His eyes grew wide as he listened to her and he nodded, he could see how someone would not like doctors. Raylaigh just had… well, he spent more time among them than the average person and it was more likely that they would sigh with they saw him. It was automatically assumed that when Ray strolled in he was injured, whether or not he was screaming in pain or not. “Really? Oh man, without doctors I’d probably be dead right now,” he laughed a little bit and shrugged. “That’s cool though, do you know how to do herbal medicines?” He asked interested. If she did, most of what she knew would probably go right over his head but he was curious about different methodologies.

Ray gave her a bright smile. “Let’s do it!” He said with an excited smile. At least his older brother wasn’t here to tell on him anymore. He could do whatever he damn well pleased and not worry about that phone call from his mother. And occasionally from his father. Like he had with the earring. He was thinking about getting the other ear done. He could do it, it wasn’t like anyone would tell, but then it would be pretty obvious when he went home. He shook his head, “Maybe later, I think that’d be fun, we can at least do that together.” He grinned, much better than flying alone. He had since lost interest in his food, a rare occurrence, but there would be more food later and this sounded like so much more fun.