Stopping Time - Stopping Himself (Open.)

[Odion Martins]

He hadn’t stolen anything in a while and Odion was starting to feel that itch. He hadn’t seen Rhett in a while, but that was alright, he just needed something to take his mind off the blonde. It was starting to get cold here in America, and while the ginger had tried before to take things, it was near impossible with people wearing jackets and what not. This left only one option really, the only option Mr. Martins could think of anyways.

It was close to Christmas, and that meant the mall was filled with little knickknacks, especially of the shiny variety. Odion was wearing a black leather jacket and parading through the mall as though on a mission, wearing a face similar to everyone else in the mall. It dawned on him that the he should be getting something for Rhett. They had never really cared before, but the ginger wouldn’t mind making more new memories with his boyfriend. He smiled at the thought of unwrapping presents with the blonde, and then he chuckled a little to himself as he entered a watch store.

His dark blue eyes glanced around carefully, there was nothing on display that he really wanted, and so he left as quickly as he came in. No, he needed something better than that, so he was off to the next jewellery store. There were a lot of nice things, but one thing stood out in particular. The clerk was busy with a couple, so he neared the display case and froze time in order to take a better look at the prize he desired. It was worth $2000, and for good reason, it was a locket made of yellow gold and would look great on Rhett, even if he didn’t agree at first.

Walking to the back, Odion opened the case and reached for the locket. But something was wrong as his hand hovered over the metal object. He sighed and took his hand back, stood up feebly and left the store before returning time to normal. He looked around in a guilty fashion before sitting on one of the many benches in the mall, opening his empty hands to stare into them. What had just happened? More importantly, what had stopped him?

[Sage Ersilia]

Sage was very excited about the Christmas season. It was his favorite time of year, where everything was lit up, people were filled with cheer, and families got together for perhaps the only opportunity they had. The stores were full of lovers, parents, grandparents, and excited children with their faces pressed to the glass, shielding magnificent toys. Sage loved to window shop, but it was during Christmas time that he could step within the boundaries of the stores and finally give in to temptation. However, this was only because he was shopping for people other than himself.

The blond had been searching far and wide for the perfect gifts to give his family and friends, and so far, he had had some good luck. Finding them had been easy enough, but he was still struggling to find the right gift for his sister. Stella was not picky or anything, but Sage wanted it to be special and something she could easily remember him through despite their separation from each other. As he wandered around, he came across a jewelry store and was instantly attracted by the sparkle of gems. They reminded him very much of stars, like the ones he and Stella used to watch every night on a clear day. Could it be that the right gift for her was in this place?

As Sage searched around, he finally stopped in front of a simple, stunning, and beautiful yellow gold locket. He smiled softly at its beauty but nearly choked on his own breath at the price. Two thousand dollars?! The price was insane and certainly not affordable, but Sage could not help but feel something resonating off of it. There was something special about the locket, and he soon realized that this was because someone else had their eyes on it.

Emerald eyes glanced to the brunette boy outside the store, whose eyes were staring intently at the fabulous piece of jewelry. However, a blink and a single breath later, the boy seemed to be still in the same place, but looked vastly different, as if he had gone through some kind of emotional battle. Sage gasped quietly in realization. Although it was not completely obvious, he remembered seeing him around the school. The boy was a meta, like himself, and the blond moved to the outside beside him, smiling as kindly as he could.

“Hello. I saw you were looking at that locket…were you thinking about buying it for someone?”

[Odion Martins]

Looking at his hands still, Odion was aware of the presence next to him. The redhead looked up as the other spoke, a blonde boy with short hair who only served to remind the time manipulator of his mate. He raised an incredulous eyebrow, surely whoever he was, he wasn’t interested in what he, Odi, was thinking about. There were tons of people in this mall, all looking for Christmas presents, and possibly good deals in general so they could spoil themselves.

His dark blue eyes looked down at the ground as he searched for what to say. On a good day, he would have been polite, but he was confused about his actions. Why hesitate? He could feel a headache come on as he sighed, and looked at the jewellery store longingly. “No, not exactly,” he said with a bit of a grin on his face, his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward in thought. He had never really had a moral compass, not for material objects anyways. Things, things that could be replaced or easily forgotten. Very little had sentimental value to the boy, and those included the locket around his neck from Rhett, and an old deck of playing cards in his pocket.

Upon second glance, the other blonde did seem a bit familiar. Emerald eyes, innocent expression – nothing like Rhett. School, perhaps that’s where he had seen him. “Odion,” he said, letting his hand slide forward for the other boy to shake, “you attend Hammel, no?” He asked in a French accent, a tight lipped smile on his face as he tried to be polite. It was just a rouse to get the other boy’s mind off of what he had been doing in a store that no high school student could afford to be in, and those that could, would probably buy their expensive adornments elsewhere.

[Sage Ersilia]

It was plain to see that Odion had been debating whether or not to do something, but Sage thought that maybe it was over whether or not to purchase the locket, not to steal it. However, the boy did not reveal this fact, and instead told him with a grin that his assumptions were not exactly the case. The blond did not try to pry, and he tilted his head, watching Odion as he seemed to be deep in thought. His hand was held out to shake, and Sage eagerly took it, happy to introduce himself to someone who was in the same school as him.

“It’s nice to meet you, Odion. I’m Sage. And yes, I attend Hammel. I’m assuming you’re a meta as well?”

Odion’s French accent came out, and Sage nearly bounced in excitement. He simply loved French accents, and he had pushed himself to learn the language by the time he finished high school. His mind had been taken completely off the locket, and he smiled gleefully at the prospects of a possible friendship growing.

[Odion Martins]

Odion laughed lightly. Sage was totally harmless. At least, he seemed to be. “Sage,” he repeated, matching the name to the green green eyes belonging to the boy, “lovely.” He grappled for the right words again. “I was under ze impression that you ‘ad to have powers in order to attend.” He said with a shrug, mocking the boy slightly but being nice about it. The ginger wasn’t looking for a fight, not today. Odi curiously wondered what Sage’s powers were, but something told him that he would find out without having to ask directly.

“Are you Christmas shopping today?” He asked, the facade continuing. At least talking to Sage was taking his mind off of his own predicament. Odion leaned back into the bench, making himself a little bit more comfortable. If things carried on this way, he would be back to his normal, charming self and having polite conversation with a schoolmate. There was nothing wrong with that, unlike what he was trying to accomplish only moments before.

Today was a French accent, tomorrow it could be Irish. Then again, the switch could happen in the same day. Having been all over Europe, it was easy to mix accents, as Odion knew the languages that corresponded with them. A soft expression crossed his freckled face and he held Sage’s eyes in captivity with his own. “What made you come talk with me?” He asked then, curious as ever. Odi was under the constant impression that people were out to get him, that they had some ulterior motive other than simply trying to be nice. This fact was probably more of a reflection of his own personality, than those around him.

[Sage Ersilia]

Sage smiled a bit at his laugh, even if the intentions did not necessarily mean well. The boy was most definitely not one that anyone would consider to be threatening, but that only served to help him in making friends. His name was repeated by the ginger boy’s lips, and he blushed slightly at the comment and visible attention to his eyes. However, Odion seemed hesitant to believe that Sage was actually a meta, since he looked powerless and stated something that should have been quite obvious.

“Um…right…sorry. I’m still growing used to meeting other metas outside of the school, that all”

The boy was asked if he was Christmas shopping in the mall during that particular visit, and Sage nodded quickly.

“Yes. I was looking for a gift for my sister, but it may be more difficult than I thought”

Sage felt a bit nervous as he spoke, feeling this strange intensity emanating from Odion as he could not look away from his blue eyes. He was almost frozen in place, but he smiled when the boy inquired as to what led him to approach him in the first place.

“Well, I thought I had seen you around before, so I thought I would ask…”

His gaze managed to break for a brief moment, glancing to the floor before he looked back and became locked in once again.

“…What about you? Are you looking for something?”

[Odion Martins]

Odion offered a small smile. It wasn’t that weird to see other students outside of school, was it? They weren’t caged in or anything. “Are you in dorms then?” He asked, taking an interest to the newcomer quite easily. It was always good to know as much as you could about someone you interacted with, as it could come in handy later.

Nodding at the explanation of his being in the mall, Odi finally looked away from Sage, a pang of jealousy hitting him square in the chest. The ginger had no family to shop for, and had never enjoyed the holidays. He seriously doubted that this year would be any different, but he was trying to change that for the better. Hence the little Christmas ‘shopping’ he had been doing. The reason was viable enough and Odion didn’t question it further.

“So you have seen me around before,” he concluded, wondering just where this was going. Perhaps Sage had also been looking at jewellery for his sister. Odion sincerely hoped that the blonde found something his sister would like, even though he was sad about not having a family of his own. No one but Rhett seemed to understand such a predicament.

The questions continued and Odion sighed, looking back up at the green eyes, a peculiar smile rising to his face. “I don’t know,” he said airily, glancing at the shops around him. There wasn’t much here to choose from, nothing seemed special enough. But did it have to be special? Maybe he simply wouldn’t get Rhett anything and hope that his boyfriend would do the same.

Sage seemed kind enough, maybe even a bit bold in coming to talk with someone who may or may not have attended the same school as the ginger. “What would you ‘ave done had I not been who you thought I was?” He asked then. Leave it to Odion to ask situational questions in order to avoid true conversation.

[Sage Ersilia]

Sage could see that Odion relaxing a bit, and he wondered if he would open up at all. He wouldn’t hold it against him at all if he was the type that rather liked to keep things secret, but he could tell that there was a kindness in him.

“Yes, I am in the dorms. I just got moved, but my roommates are all really nice”

The blond did not notice any of the jealous feelings that Odion felt at the mention of family, but if he had known, he surely would have never brought it up. However, it was clear that he did not have any ill will towards him over it. Odion also didn’t seem to have any clear reason for coming to the mall, but one didn’t need to have the desire to buy things to visit the shops. Sage smiled and nodded in understanding before blinking at the peculiar question.

“If you weren’t who I thought you were? Well…I guess I would have to face the situation at that point, but I don’t like to judge anyone on first appearances…I learn firsthand, even if it ends up coming back to haunt me…”

It was necessarily the smartest thing in the world. Sage knew this philosophy was flawed, but he believed it was truly one of his best traits.

[Odion Martins]

“Hammel is a friendly place, for the most part,” he said. It could be taken as a sort of warning, or simply small talk. It was up to the listener to interpret the meaning. For Odion, Hammel was full of mostly normal teenagers, with a sprinkling of weirdoes and do-gooders. Odion had been recruited into a sort of family, or in other words, a bunch of teens with nothing better to do but harass and torment people. Only time would tell what kind of person Sage would turn out to be.

A genuine smile graced Odion’s lips. “I sincerely hope that you don’t cross the path of someone with ill intentions,” he said, blinking his eyes a couple of times. To not judge on appearances was often a terrible mistake, but the redhead applauded Sage’s want to see good in everyone. “I like getting to know people as well,” he said truthfully. Ah, half truthfully anyways. He didn’t get to know others for the same reason that Sage did – to evade his assumptions and see the better in people.

“I think your sister would enjoy a stuffed animal of some sort,” he piped in then, his brain going back to the previous topic. Often Odion lost his place in time and what was said when, a natural side effect of his powers. The ginger loved teddy bears, they were soft and adorable and he could always use more of them. “There’s a few shops around here that have z’em.” He said with an amused smile. Yes, he did know all of the shops with teddy bears, it was the first thing he had looked for.

[Sage Ersilia]

Sage nodded in agreement in regards to the comment about Hammel being abundant with friendly people. He had yet to run into any person he would deem evil. He intended to give each and every person he met a chance to prove the good in themselves that he saw every day. Perhaps that was the reason he could continue keep his light.

“I know I’ll be all right no matter what”

Sage smiled and without intention, he began to light up, his body glowing like a star and the rays reflecting off the gems behind him. A moment passed before he realized what he was doing, and he quickly made the light disperse, his head bowing down in embarrassment.

“Sorry. It comes out like that sometimes when I’m not paying attention”

Sage was enthused about the idea of a stuffed animal. What a perfect idea! Stella loved animals, and if it was one he picked out himself, she would certainly treasure it.

“I like that idea a lot. That’s a great idea, Odion! I bet they even have a place where you can make your own…”

[Odion Martins]

Sage knew he would be alright no matter what. Odion smiled softly, looking down at his lap. He knew he would be alright as well. In fact, he was more than alright, now that he had Rhett back in his life. It was interesting that two very different people with very different morals, could have the same end result, the same thought.

Odion’s thoughts were stopped because he had to squint from the annoying sunlight pouring in from the windows. He glanced up and saw that it was actually overcast. Where was the light coming from then? He looked to Sage beside him to ask if he knew the cause, but that’s when he noticed it was Sage who was emitting the glow. The ginger chuckled a little as the blonde admitted to it being him. “It’s alright mate, a bi’ of glowing won’t hurt anybody.” He managed a smile, as he wondered if the other boy could manipulate darkness as well. Sage must’ve been in a good mood though, that’s usually when light manipulators glowed, as he knew from Ms. Pinyin.

Nodding a couple times, before pointing down the hall. “Yeah, it’s down that way,” he gestured with his finger. Odion was feeling pretty proud of himself, as he didn’t get told very often that his ideas were good ones. Then he said something he hadn’t been planning on, but the excitement coming from Sage, and the idea of teddy bears in general, made him say it. That’s what he’s blaming it on anyways.

“I coul’ come with you, if you want.”

[Sage Ersilia]

Odion did not seem at all bothered by his sudden show of light, and he was grateful for that. Some people found it annoying to look at it when it was too bright as it had just been. Sage always tried to keep his light dimmed so that he would not blind anyone, but when he got excited, it was difficult to maintain. He said that ‘it wouldn’t hurt anybody’, and he took the words to heart. It was only when he overheated that there was any chance of someone getting hurt, and it was more likely to be himself.

“Thank you…”

He smiled and glanced in the direction Odion pointed, and he could faintly see the store sign when he squinted his eyes. Oh, Stella was going to love this. Sage looked back excitedly to the ginger boy when he offered to come, and he nodded eagerly.

“Yes, please! I would like that very much”

Sage took the boy’s hand and gently tugged on it to raise him up and off of the bench.

[Odion Martins]

Raising an eyebrow, Odion cocked his head to the side. “For what?” He asked then, unsure of why or what he was being thanked for. The boy rose then as Sage took his hand, causing the ginger to blush a little. “Uh right, let’s go then.” He said, loosening his grip from the other boy’s grip. Odi was only the touchy feely type with the right kind of people, and he had only just met Sage. He needed people to stay out of his personal space bubble.

Odion led the way and walked beside Sage casually with his hands in his pockets. He was sure the blonde would find something suitable for his sister, but he didn’t want to mention the different selection of animals to choose from. Truth was, the only boy he wanted to take to this store was Rhett, and instead he was taking a complete stranger.

Walking into the store, the redhead picked up a rainbow elephant, finding the thing completely atrocious. “Here,” he said, offering the limp animal to Sage for fluffing, “she’ll love it.” He smiled feebly and went to go look at the teddy bears instead. Any other animal made for being stuffed just wasn’t the same. They didn’t cuddle as well.

[Rhett Goddard]

Rhett was not a jealous person, or so he repeated to himself, but ever since that Logan incident, he felt the need to be carefully aware of Odion's friends and their intentions. Even if he trusted the that the ginger was sufficiently in love with him to never do something, he couldn't trust that some other guy or girl wouldn't try to hit on him or take advantage of him. Learning via ESP that Odion was holding hands with another boy as he diligently received the food orders from the AutoMac at his McDonald's job made him worry just like when he learned of him sleeping with Logan.

Saying that he'd take a small break to his immediate boss, Rhett excused himself and quickly walked out of the McDonald's and into the mall in his uniform. It didn't take him long to find the ginger in a stuffed animals shop along with a green-eyed blonde. A blonde kid? It pained him a little. The fact that Odion was with him meant that he liked blondes, and there he was with another blonde whom he was previously holding hands. It made him believe for a second that maybe Odion was... trying to replace him? Impossible.

Walking into the store, he quickly went to where the two boys were and without warning, grabbed the time-controller's hand and landed a five seconds kiss in his lips before finally turning to see the blonde directly.

"Who are you and why were you holding my boyfriend's hand?" He quickly asked.

[Sage Ersilia]

Sage released his hand the moment he noticed that he had made Odion uncomfortable. He had a tendency to get too comfortable around people sometimes, and he didn’t want to make anyone feel awkward around him. However, he was just so happy that Odion had been so helpful and offered to accompany him to the store. Making new friends was always exciting to him, and sometimes he could just not contain it.

As they stepped into the store, he saw the smiles that children had on their faces when they made a stuffed animal just for them. It was more personal, and Sage was beginning to like the idea of this for Stella. She would appreciate something like this. Odion came up to him with a rainbow elephant, and it instantly made the blond smile. There was no real animal in particular that his sister favorite. She loved all of them, and the elephant just seemed fun.

“I like it a lot, Odion. Thanks. It’s perfect”

Sage was about to step over to the machine full of stuffing, but he was interrupted by another male that moved in to kiss Odion. He blinked at the sudden public display of affection towards the ginger, but then the person questioned why he had been holding his boyfriend’s hand. Sage flushed in embarrassment and flailed in denial.

“Oh, no! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make anyone upset! I guess I just got a little too comfortable! I’m sorry!”

He really hoped that it wouldn’t be taken the wrong way.