Wide awake and alone (open to any)

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Early, early in the morning is usually the time when people are sawing logs, counting sheep, whatever it is that they do, dream about rainbows and unicorns or killing zombies.. Whatever, but Theo, who hasn't really had much luck with room-mates over the last two years, wasn't doing any of those things.  You see, typically he gets along with everyone, despite his shyness, he isn't real open about his past or his life, until it starts to get involved in disturbing someone else's sleep.  For the past two years, Theo has had real bad nightmares of an event that happened in his past, it was also the reason he was picked up and taken to the institute in the first place.

You see, Theo's father went on a drinking spree when Theo's mother left him, Theo was still young, only 11 when she left, and he lived with is father, because his mother wanted nothing to do with him, for his own "safety" and disowned him a year later.  Theo had no other relatives that he could go live with, or anything, so he was stuck there.  His father turned to abuse a year later, and even though Theo never really had anything to say much about it, he just took it, cried it out and took the shame of it later.  Two more years later, it turned violent, as a 14 year old Theo got the worst shock of his life.  His father came in early in the morning, drunker than a skunk, and smelling like it too, and with a fire in his eyes, he lashed out at Theo hard.  He ripped him off the bed, dressed in only the underwear he was wearing, and beat the hell out of him, as if he was fighting a UFC fighter.  On top of the pain, Theo's father raped him, brutally, beating him into submission.  Theo had more colors on him than the rainbow in the sky.  The neighbors called the police, when they saw the shadow of the fight continue in the living room after the rape, and the police arrived just in time to see Theo go flying through the front window, gashing open his right shoulder about an inch deep, and landing on the ground, naked as the day he was born.  The police arrested his father, Theo, was unconscious and "dying" from the loss of energy and blood.

To this day, That night still haunts him, as he can't shake the painful memories of the rape, the beating and the glass.  He thought he was going to die, until the professor from this institute saved his life.  Because with in two days of being unconscious, Theo was healing himself.  Now, this early morning, the student lounge was empty, the little bit of light coming from a small lamp near the short couch was all that was there, as Theo was wrapped up in a blanket, with his sketch pad and a charcoal pencil, just drawing away as he can't sleep, the pain is obvious on his face, it's as if he's scared to go to sleep again.

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As he sat there in the dim light of the small battery powered lamp he has with him, Theo drew in his sketch pad, wrapped up in a blanket, on the smaller of the couches in the student lounge. He had cried earlier, but looked fine now, even though he was now wide awake, and terrified of sleeping again.  He was huddled up in the blanket, as he set his sketch pad down beside him, and just kind of laid his head on his knees, trying to block out the day he wishes he could just forget, but the intense pain that he often feels in his right shoulder, still reminds him of what he can't forget.

It was still early, only 5 am at the institute, and most students are in their dorms sleeping or whatever on this early morning, only a few staff, some security guards and Theo seemed to be awake.  Theo got up from the couch, folded up the blanket, and put his sketch pad back into the small gym bag he carried around with him.  Since being at Hammel for two years, he's moved dorms and now he just kind of free floats, having had some student complain about his nightmares every now and them, and others claiming he's a telepath, but he's not.  He has seen Dr. Sean several times, and for a while they were gone, but keep coming back.

With his stuff picked up and his "bed" put away, Theo takes his bag, and heads to the shower room, in hopes to get a shower before the other boys get up.  Not that Theo is ashamed of anything, it's more peaceful that way.  So he heads to the boys dormitory shower room, which is like a gym sized shower area to get cleaned off and some different clothes.  The showers are like those of a pool area. they are a bench up front and a curtain closed in shower behind.  He puts his bag on the bench after locking the small door behind him, grabs his towel and strips down to get in.  After the shower, he changes into some jean shorts that go just above his knees, and a blue colored t-shirt.  His hair lays forward on his head, and he's got his socks on, sitting on the couch, right back where he started this morning, as it's now 6 am, and people are starting to get up.  He has his sketch pad, and the daylight outside starting to show, as he continues to draw, greeting the sun with the day, while taking a sip on his coke nearby.

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Oriel was usually up this early. Well, to be more accurate, he was usually still up this early. The past year had done wonders for his restlessness in the dead of the night. When he was with Phoenix, the walls didn’t seem to close up around him quite so much. The electrical buzz of the lamp or hum of the refrigerator in the common room didn’t seem quite so deafening. There was something about having someone near him, in his bed, wrapped within his arms that calmed the high strung boy. And, it had been a year of bliss. Until Phoenix had been so painfully ripped away from him four months ago.

Had it really been so long? How he’d even survived, Oriel didn’t know.

Over the past week, it had gotten better again. Somewhat. It must’ve just been the high of promising to spend the rest of his life with his one and only, however, because as he slowly came down off of it, his anxiety was gradually returning. And so was, unfortunately, his inability to maintain a normal sleep schedule.

So this early in the morning was actually late enough to not be locked up in his room anymore and actually get his day started.

4 am. Not too early, right?

Oriel barely noticed the kid sitting by himself on the couch of the dorm commons as he tromped down the stairs in his gym shorts and windbreaker. Whatever, Oriel gave no fucks, and he left the building to go do….something. Probably run. Out in chilled fall air that made his breath white.

Two hours later, the boy returned, sweat pouring down his face and his chest heaving. This worn out, he was sure to get at least a couple winks before classes started, right? He pulled open the door to the dorms and stepped inside, his footsteps heavy and loud as he first headed to the common room to chug something from the tap. Water dribbled from the corners of his mouth and down his neck as he took in a hearty helping of cold water, pouring the remaining droplets over his flushed face. Oriel leaned against the counter, his back rising and falling with every loud breath.

Did he notice that the kid who was there when he left was still there when he returned? Yeah, kinda. Did he care? Hard to tell.

When he’d recovered enough, Oriel moved to get the coffee maker brewing something with caffeine. Yeah, he who was he fooling? He wasn’t going to sleep, so may as well try to stay awake. “You want any?” he muttered, presumably to the kid on the couch.

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Theo, who was drawing away, now with different clothes on, was still sitting on the couch when the stranger came in.  He heard him coming, but didn't really say anything, just drew away.  It wasn't until he had heard his voice in hear ears that Theo looked up.  " W.. what?"  He asked, as he caught wind of the other person.  When asked if he wanted some.. Theo just shook his head, " I can't drink coffee, I'll bounce off walls, literally." He said thanking the person for the offer.

Theo took note of the wetness on his shirt and thought it could either be really hot, water manipulator, or he just ran a marathon.  He wiped the first two thoughts from his head as the intense breathing that threatened to deafen him kind of gave it away.  " Must have been a great run." He said to the other guy, just with out a second thought, " I don't usually see anyone else up at this time of the morning," Theo said putting his sketch pad and pencil back in his bag, " I'm Theo" He said approching the stranger offering a handshake.

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Whatever. Oriel tried not to take offense at the denied offer. He probably should’ve just kept it to himself like he initially intended, but…it was supposed to be an effort. One of those efforts that he was supposed to be making to not be suck a dickhead anymore. Oriel shrugged and put the coffee on. It started to churn and make slurping noises as it sucked in the water, poured it into the filter, and drained into the pot beneath it.

It was November. In Vermont. If anything, Oriel was crazy for going out there in such a thin jacket and shorts to run. And run. And run. “If you say so,” he said, turning to lean his ass against the edge of the counter while he waited for the coffee. He crossed his arms over his chest. Did the run help though? He couldn’t tell. The sound of his own breathing was definitely loud enough to drown out a lot of his inner upset at least. “….they’re there if you know where to look. Lotsa kids ‘round here can’t sleep worth shit for one reason or another.” Like Carleigh. And then there was that one weirdo who’d wander the halls half asleep. Seemed to have left over the past year though. Oriel was another. He’d find a corner to take a nap sometime between classes later.

Oriel glared at the offered hand. He remembered some other French nerd named Theo or something who’d gotten on his nerves last semester. The fact that this guy shared the same name shouldn’t be a reason to be unfriendly to him. Unfortunately, it was. He took a breath. “Oriel,” he replied with his own name, keeping his arms crossed and looking away slightly.

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Theo saw that he wasn't going to shake his hand, maybe he was shy or something, as all Theo was doing was trying to make an effort to be friends.  " Well, it's nice to meet you."  Theo said as he put his hands in the pocket of his denim shorts " I guess I never noticed anyone else, I don't really pay attention anymore."  He replied.

" I know some people have sleep disorders  I have seen them but not met them really, as I just never got the outwardness to go meet people, at that time."  He said as he walked back to the table a few feet away by the couch he was at, and picked up his coke and walked back to Oriel.  " So how long have you been a student here at Hammel, as I may have seen you, but never knew you."  Theo asked, trying to be friendly, though he could kind of feel this could be a loosing battle.

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Oriel was his own special sort of shy and awkward. He loved people. He hated people. He was very tactile, yet hated people touching him. He loved attention, but hated it when people stared. It was like he couldn’t make up his mind and any time one could encounter either of the two extremes. Today, Oriel was balancing uncertainly between the two. He hadn’t quite figured out what he was yet today. And that annoyed him. So at the very least he knew he was annoyed.

Oriel listened to this person ramble on. He sounded like he was speaking an essay. “Few years,” he said with a heave of his chest. His lungs were still stinging a bit from his run. “S’pposed to graduate this year, but fuck…yeah, that shit ain’t happening.” His grades had improved over the course of the year, but they fell again early this fall. He was trying to get them back up, but it was a hard battle when he didn’t have his usual study partner to torture bounce questions off of.

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Theo wasn't sure what to think of this guy, he couldn't tell if he was a class A prick, or just unsure of himself, either way Theo wasn't going to force himself into a friendship, if the guy just didn't want to talk to him.  It seemed that he was ok, but he wasn't sure about anything really, as Theo hasn't made a lot of friends over the last two years.

The comment about him graduating kind of made Theo wonder, " Why?  Why can't it happen? M.. my mother always told me that you can do anything with some focus and practice."  He shrugged, " That is, before she abandoned me and left me alone with my father."  he said taking the last drink on his soda, crushing the can and putting it in the recycle place.  " I simply can't understand that concept anymore, I don't feel like that."  Theo said as he turned back to Oriel, " Well, I for one, take it and make it my own, my feeling is that I know what I can do, all I needed was a little push to make it work."

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Oriel didn’t want to talk to him, but he didn’t not want to talk to him. It was neutral at the moment, though if that changed then this guy would be able to tell real quick. Oriel was not subtle when it came to showing his emotions. Unless he wanted to be. Meaning, he had some (usually)underhanded purpose to do so.

…..okay, Mr. Sunshine and Lollipops, Oriel thought, deadpanning a look at him, his mouth slightly agape. Oriel couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. “You always try to conjure the pity party on first meetings?” he said, his face still incredulous. “I mean, we just fucking met and already you’re telling me your sob story ‘bout how your mommy ditched you.” Oriel was more surprised than annoyed. ”It’s a little personal, don’t you think?” Oriel was also abandoned by his mother when he was a baby, though that left him in the hands of foster care, shifting from one bad home to the next until he manifested and landed here at Hammel. A father had never even been in the equation. Oriel rarely, if ever, spoke about that, though. You had to be very, very close to the delinquent before he opened up that much to anyone.

Oriel turned and started setting up his Styrofoam cup for the coffee that was almost done brewing. “I know what I can do, and I know what I can’t. For instance,” he started with a snort. “I can’t fly no matter how fucking much I “focus and practice”. Probly just break my arm.”

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Theo kind of jumped back at the sudden change in attitude, but he probably deserved it.  " Woah dude, I didn't mean to get personal, I didn't mean to get you all riled up.  I was just merely stating a point, sorrry if I upset you."  Theo obviously had pissed the guy off or something, because this was a different attitude than the passive one he had just a moment ago.  " I don't usually go spouting off anything..." He just shook his head, " Maybe this was a bad idea, not the first I've had today."  

Theo listened to him say about what he knows he can and can't do, and how he can't fly no matter how hard he practices.  " Don't feel bad, I can't control the weather, throw fire balls, move objects or manipulate matter, so I don't know what the problem is?  All I know is that I am bothering you, and so I am going to go back to my little corner of the world, leave you to yours, and forget that I exist right now.  Pitty party or not, I didn't intend to piss you off, but it's obvious that you don't want to be bothered, so I am going to shut up and go away."  Theo said as he just walked off.

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Change in attitude? From apathetic to surprised? Apparently this guy didn’t like surprises, or his ability to accurately judge other people’s emotions was completely wanked, because Oriel hadn’t snapped or raised his voice in the least. He was more amused, actually, than upset. The kid’s response had Oriel even more confused. ”Dude, chill,” he advised with a short laugh. ”Who the fuck said I was upset? Just don’t get why you tell something like that to someone you just met?” Oriel didn’t understand people who did that, so one might call it a genuine inquiry of interest.

He rolled his eyes. “I mean, I know my limits, dork. And I know I ain’t got the grades good enough to graduate in time this year. That’s reality, not me being fucking emo or nothing.” But again, this guy was jumping to conclusions about Oriel’s mood, which was frustrating him more than annoying him. ”The only thing ‘bout you that’s bothering me is the way you fucking overreact to everything. I ain’t pissed.” Actually, this was Oriel being nice. This guy obviously didn’t know Oriel or his reputation of beating people half to death. But Oriel wasn’t even close to that level of irritated right now. Nope, he was just flabbergasted at the level of idiot this guy was. The guy walked away and Oriel rolled his eyes again. ”Fuck, is your power like ‘jumping to conclusions’, or something?” he called out to him as he walked off. Whatever. Oriel turned around and poured his coffee.

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Theo whirled around and looked at him, " What's your's bi-polarism?  One minute you're chilled, the next you jumping my head off for telling you something.  Despite how it was delivered, I said nothing that insinuated a pitty party.  I just stated that is what my mother said before she left me, and here you are throwing the F-bomb in my face, like twice.  I didn't deserve that."  Theo said obviously a little dramatic, before he just took a deep sigh, and put his hand on his forehead.

Theo just took a deep breath, as he said, " Look.. look, I'm sorry.  I am just irritated from not sleeping a lot.  I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."  Theo just kind of paced, " No, I don't have precognition or anything, my power is biomolecular manipulation.  All I've been able master so far is healing medium problems, like cracked bones, the symptoms of a cold, along with anything lesser that that, cuts, bruises, stuff like that."  Theo said.  " I am not usually a "jump the gun" kind of person, and I am sorry for cocking an attitude with you, that's not usually me."

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”Uh, no, you said that’s what she said before she abandoned you and left you with your father. That kind of verbage ain’t exactly light on the heart.” It was the kind of intense wording one used when they wanted to illicit a response from someone. Oriel should know, it’s what he did. Oriel felt like facepalming, this guy thought—? ”Alright, Peggy Sue, let me clear something up,” he started, resting his hand on the counter with the other cautiously held up, as if any sudden movements would send this bunny skedaddling out the building. ”I say ‘fuck you’ like, every other sentence. Force of habit. Half the shit I say, is exactly that, shit, and it don’t got nothing to do with nothing, ‘specially not you. So quit being a fucking spazzart and just chill.” Nice pep talk Oriel. That’ll put his mind at ease.

And who said anything about ‘precognition’? Oriel had no idea how this guy’s mind worked. Oriel supposed he should be a little more sympathetic. After all, he was the king of jumping to conclusions, though he was trying to get better at that. Oriel blanched when the guy suddenly went into a dissertation about his power. ”Okay, one: it was a rhetorical question, I don’t give two fucks about what your power is.” Oriel never did, he hated the fact that it seemed so common for people to automatically start a conversation about it when they first met someone. Couldn’t they talk about something else? Like the weather? ”Two: got to learn to put a stopper on that mouth ‘fore you spill some international secrets or something.” Didn’t he have any sense of preservation? Oriel shrugged at his apology. ”And I’m not usually an asshole. Dude, we are what we are, no matter how much we say otherwise.” He gestured to himself, then to Theo as he spoke. ”I’m a dick, you’re a spaz. Now let’s move on.”

Oriel put the hot coffee to his lips. It was delicious.

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Theo shrugged, " Fair enough." Was all he said before heard the spiel about him blurting out his powers.  " You right, I guess I don't really care who knows? I mean I guess if I can help people, I will.  I don't want to keep my powers to myself, as much as they helped me, I want them to help others."  Theo said with out a second thought.

" Heh, a spaz huh? I guess time really does change people."  He said more in thought than anything, but loud enough for Oriel to hear. " Yeah, well maybe that's a good thing, maybe I'm the bi-polar one? I never stopped to think about that." He then thought to himself He wasn't his usual shy self, as something about Oriel intrigued him.  " You know what, I was just thinking about something, you say your a dick, and I'm a spaz, well, as true as that is, maybe that's why we haven't killed eachother yet.  I wasn't always a spaz, and totally didn't mean to come off that way, but maybe its a good thing.  Maybe I'm not as shy as I think.  So that would make us opposites, your pretty open about your feelings, and I had usually kept them in, maybe that's what "brought us to talking" in the first place?"  He said all wise like, trying to change the topic to something more neutral.

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“Hmph,” Oriel grunted with a snort. “You’re a fucking idealist, ain’t ya?” Oriel wondered what exactly made people like that. Oriel, on the other hand, had the bad habit of seeing the bad in everything. In thinking that only the worst outcome was possible. He had little to no desire in helping people, and if he did, it was out of boredom….okay, that wasn’t entirely true. He did like helping, just not in the “altruistic” way that this guy seemed to want to. Oriel just wanted to be worth something to somebody. Preferably to one who was worth something to him. It was nice being needed by someone. Oriel needed to be needed by someone he needed, if that made any sense.

And why the hell was this guy getting all deep and existential on him? This guy was as confusing as hell. Oriel snorted again. “‘Course I’m a dick,” he countered as he sipped again from his coffee. “Only reason I haven’t killed you yet, is that you caught me in the right fucking mood.” He smirked. Oriel wondered which one it was, though. The run which calmed him from wanting to murder everything in sight, or the distraction of talking to someone that disrupted his cycle of insanity? Maybe a combination of both? Or maybe the fucking medication was actually doing it’s job. Multi-factorial. That was the word which came to mind. “You’re probly the first person I heard say that ‘bout me. That I’m “open” with my feelings.” Oriel kept plenty bottled up. But maybe the kid had a point? Oriel didn’t talk much about his problems, but what he did say out loud was 100% truth. Well, at least 90%, to account for the avoidant BS he chucked at people when he didn’t want to talk.

Oriel grunted, scratching the back of his head(and getting his fingers doused in sweat in the process). ”Alright, I’ll bite. The fuck’s got you sitting up all night like some sad, dejected puppy?”