Call it Charisma, Call it Charm | Odion

[Aki Welland]

When Aki had met with Alice she had gotten a clear vision of the other two members who the very proper girl had in mind for her little operation. She had a good idea how Alice operated, or so she thought, and didn't want her first impression of these people to be marred by thoughts Alice may or may not have planted in them. With any mental power there was that possibility, and she just wasn't going to take tht chance. She had already met with dear Stella, and had no qualms with her. She was a fair, wondrous person that for whatever reason, decorative or otherwise seemed like she would fit well into the odd group. She had yet to meet with Odion and decided it was definitely time for a little "chat."

Dressed in not exactly finery as good as Alice would dress in every day, but something similar. She was dressed elegantly in wide silk pants and customized heeled sneakers with a red tank and a complementing orange jacket. All her jewelry was gold and amber, and rather bohemian at that as it also had elements of feathers and wood. Still, with her dark skin and coppery hair she tied all the warm colors together nicely. She had left Odion a note, saying to meet at Kali's for bagels and polite conversation.

Now, most sane people would throw the note away, but Aki was hoping Odion was as interesting as Alice seemed to think. Besides, she had bagels, warm ones in all flavors and sizes. She herself preferred the small bite sized ones with poppy seeds, but she had ordered a whole basketful. How could anyone, anyone refuse bagels? If they were around Alice they couldn't, but Aki had her own tricks up her sleeve. She had begun to watch the young woman when she was around, how she used her strengths and others weaknesses to bend them to her will without even having to use her power. Call it intuition of the way people worked. Or blame it on the fact Aki could hear thoughts. Either way she was sure she was getting the idea of how manipulation worked. And that heady taste was something she liked. Powerful.

She glanced at the clock, still Aki in every way no matter if she was in a more predatory flirty mood or not. She was still the time consumed punk underneath and it glinted in every curve of her body. She just sighed and waited for Odion to show. If what she had said meant anything to him then he would be there.

[Odion Martins]

Odion walked into his dorm room and spotted a note on the floor, and he picked it up curiously. It stated he was to meet Aki a Kali’s for bagels and a speech. Bagels? How did she know that? The ginger smiled, pocketing the note and heading to his room, deciding to redress himself.

Aki was a part of his new family now, something he hadn’t exactly told Rhett about, and probably wouldn’t for a long time. Odion decided on a light blue button up shirt, which brightened his eyes, and khaki pants. He slipped on his sleek black coat for fall and put on his brown loafers before leaving the dorm and walking towards Downtown Pilot Ridge. He looked like he had stepped out of some strange English fashion magazine, but at least he looked nice.

To say he was excited to meet Aki would be an understatement. He hadn’t seen Alice in a couple months now, and still had no idea who the other people in the group were other than her girlfriend Isabelle. Honestly, he wasn’t completely excited about having that on in the mix, but it wasn’t his group and it wasn’t his rules. He would have to keep that one to himself.

On the way to the shop, he had the chance to mull things over in his mind. What to expect, what to say, what not to say. It would be a very complicated dance, but he had managed to win Alice over, surely Aki would be kind enough to do the same, right? Odion decided to make himself look vulnerable and unable to manipulate, since that was manipulation at its finest. He could win people over without control them or reading their thoughts, how do you like that?

Stepping into the shop, the redheaded boy searched its occupants and spotted Aki almost immediately. She was about as unique as he was, with her dark skin and fall coloured clothing. He smiled softly – it suited her well. He approached her confidently, his hands in his pockets. “Aki I presume?” He asked, a bit of a French accent showing through. He smiled charmingly, took her hand and kissed the knuckles for just the right amount of time, “Odion, at your service,” he said, and sat down across from her after shrugging off his jacket.

Hopefully she would excuse his tardiness.

“You look lovely,” he said truthfully, not trying to butter her up. She had taste and he liked her already. Odion’s dark blue eyes unflinchingly looked into hers. “I received your note, it mentioned bagels?” He asked, his eyes going over the array of bagels in front of her. Jeeze, she really was trying to win him over here. He glanced back to the girl, surveying her a little closer. He really liked those feathery earrings...

“Do you mind?” He asked her, his hand waving over the bagels before them, particularly at the sesame seeded ones.

[Aki Welland]

His presence was undeniable when he walked through the door. Oooh, sweet and innocent on the outside. His long coat hung well on the red head and a smiled curved over Aki's face as he said her name. There was a slight accent to it, and she had to take a moment to place it. French most likely. It was hard to tell with her hard, monosyllable name. Even so, she was impressed. Alice knew what she was doing fr sure, picking talent who could manipulate others. So Alice wanted people who could take care of themselves around others, in one way or another. She shifted slightly in her seat, letting her body arch slightly in interest.

He asked about the bagels and she waved her hand, the one with the spider corslett bangle, over the still warm basket.
" There are plenty here in all sorts of wonderful styles. Surely something will be to your liking mhmm?" Her voice had its mischief, but it was like a purr. This was sort of a game for he,r, because she planned on being at the top of this little world Alice was creating and wouldn't hestate to pull out all the stops to get there. But she did hold herself slightly in check. Where would the fun be if she played her full hand now? That would be a letdown if it proved to easy. Would Odion be able to hold up to her rather blunt attitudes? No matter how much of a silky purr she had her points were as deadly concise and to the point as any arrow.

" I was hoping to meet you before we had a formal Family meeting. You see, I don't want there to be any ah...extra humors or persuasions around to influence opinions." Read: Alice and her wonderful mind bending. She wanted a clear opinion of who this person was. And she also wanted to make the mind link if she found him to be as trustworthy as Alice did. That would play a big part in this surely. Once they all met together she could cement the mind merge by having everyone there together. That would be the ace in the hole.

But first their little chat.

" I thought you would also appreciate the chance." She let the bracelets jingle slightly and exposed her neck and ears more to show the two sets of earrings, one with feathers one just gold balls. He seemed to have an interest in.... shiny things. Hmm. Can I turn that to my advantage?

[Odion Martins]

Not that he didn’t mind meeting Aki, but it felt like almost being the same around Alice. Unsure where to tread, not knowing where the lines were. It was an exciting game. Still, Odion didn’t like answering to so many women, they could be tricky. Sometimes trickier than he was. And they were oh so pretty and often attractive, bringing out the flirt within the boy. How was he supposed to manipulate that? So he wouldn’t bother, letting him think they had control. Odi could change at the flip of a hat though, so at least he wasn’t at a total disadvantage.

Helping himself to the plain sesame bagel he had his heart set on, he buttered it tenderly and munched on it happily. Nothing like meeting the ‘family’ and bagels to put the boy in a good mood. “How did you know these were my favourites?” He asked, pushing the basket towards the girl. Surely these all weren’t for him, there was no way he would be able to eat them all. Aki was good, but not that good. If she knew bagels were his favourite, how come she didn’t know what kind he liked? She didn’t have all the answers, and they would need to work as a team in order to get anything accomplished, instead of one upping the other.

Odion nodded once, understanding her motives completely, however, he had to wonder if Aki was trying to steal Alice’s spotlight. “Well here I am, in the flesh, without anyone to impair your judgement of me,” he sent her a winning smile, before looking down at his bagel again. It was so damn good.

He watched her show off her goods, his dark blues darting from one ear to the next, then to her bracelets, and back to her face. “You seem to know a lot about me,” he said, and then he stopped time. He reached over the table and took off her bracelet flawlessly, placing it on the top of the pile of bagels. Odion returned time to normal, returning to his previous state. She would have no idea what just happened, other than her bracelet suddenly going MIA.

The ginger smiled sweetly and pointed to the bracelet, “You might as well know what I do and how well I can do it. Time manipulation, neat party trick and conversation starter,” he said suavely. Talking to girls was so easy, it was the boys that he needed to worry about. Good thing he was the only male in this little ‘family’ so far. Something he didn’t mind at all. He was trying to earn her trust first, something he thought, would appeal to her greatly.

There was nothing wrong in pleasing everyone right? In the end, he would stand next to whoever had the most power, regardless of being a team or not.

[Aki Welland]

Bagels were his favorite? That was a little fact she hadn't expected. Or known. She was of the thought that there was no conversation that couldn't be started as long as bagels were around. Not a breakfast food really, but not set in any other category they were all around munch crunchy goodness. Was fate smiling on her when she choose the food instead of the fruit and cookies she had thought of? Must have been. Besides, how was it possible to be unhappy when you had bagels. It just wasn't. She smiled and took one of the smaller bagels. She preferred the crispy, toasted chips to the large bagels. They were just excellent. Aki let her mental shield down slightly to 'taste' the flavor of his mind. He was happy, but unsure. As she let the thoughts wash over her they sharpened and the uncertainty was towards her. How sweet, he thought she wanted Alice's position as leader. Not likely. If she was careful she could eventually form her own branch of the family and play puppet master then. Not until she watched a master at it first though. It was Alices natural born gift after all.

" Don't worry about me. I'm not here to take Alice's light. We are slightly interfering with each others powers. The world can get a little...muzzy around her. For me anyway." She let her hand move down to take another bagel chip. While there was no pause in time for her there was a definite weight different as he flawlessly slipped the bracelet from her wrist and set it atop the bagels smiling. Ah. So his hidden talent was revealed. He was a slippery one. Quick fingers and a knack for telling time were useful. And so the adage, mastery is achieved when telling time becomes telling time what to do. Makes much more sense now than ever before. A neat party trick eh? Definitely interesting and conversation starting to say the least. She could show him her abilities, past the little bits of tasting she had already done. Only a practiced telepath or someone with that wonderful sort of sixth sense ESP power, or an empath would know when she was tasting.

" Well, that's definitely a good power to have. Useful, versatile, and strong. I'll show you my power, but not without permission first." She decided to leave the bracelet there. She had a million and he seemed to like shiny things. Should she go through the same routine as with Alice? It seemed best at the moment. She let her elbow rest against the table, thin hand upright. Her nails were longer than they had been last time, and it made her hand slightly...more.

" I'm telepathic. I can read thoughts and emotions easily, and form a connection. Its a strong connection, understand that. You'll know when I'm around, I'll know when you're around. And possible later, if all goes well, the same will be for the other members of the Family. I've already formed this connection with Alice. " She raised a an eye brow slightly in challenge.

" It's up to you. For now I can show you some neat telepathic things without the link. Or we can form the link and I can show you all the cool nifty tricks and perks."

[Odion Martins]

Odion watched Aki pick out the small, bite sized bagels, which were more crusty and crispy, the very reason why he didn’t like them. Bagels, in his opinion, had to be toasted just right, enough to preserve the soft texture in the middle. They needed to be golden and warm. Not that any of this mattered, but he was still happy to learn a little about the brunette across the table. He wasn’t sure how close he was going to become with all the members of this little group, but he knew if they were serious, they would have to be close.

Suddenly she was reiterating what he had just thought about Alice and the struggle of powers between the two girls. Odion saw the two easily clashing, and wondered just what would happen to the future of this group. He smiled at her complimenting his powers, even though they were only useful in certain ways. He would have to figure out if there was a way to better use them, such as speeding things up instead of merely slowing things down. He, like the rest of them, was still learning after all.

The ginger didn’t trust people very quickly, and usually not at all. He couldn’t very well not form this connection, this bond with Aki though. He couldn’t be the odd man out if he was going to be accepted by them all, and so, he decided, despite his wariness of the whole thing, to let the girl do her magic. She had already formed the connection with Alice, that much was a relief, assuming she wasn’t lying. Odion then wondered if telepathy could be related to ESP in any way, not that he had it or anything, he was just curious as to how Rhett’s power worked.

Reaching out his hand steadily, he wasn’t sure if this was what she wanted. If it wasn’t, she could correct him. “Does the connection last a lifetime?” He asked then, no worry in his voice only curiosity. He would have to be more careful with what he thought around the telepath. Things were getting serious.

“Let’s see your tricks then.”

[Aki Welland]

She grinned. It was a sort of wild, feral grin but she couldn't help it, seeing as it was part of her troublesome nature. She tried to let the rising excitement fade away but it was going to go anywhere.

" The link lasts as long as we're pretty near each other. So time and distance can kill it unless it's super strong, which I can't do yet. And it won't work over huge distances right now. At the moment I can usually only make it last about campus wide. So ya. The longer we work together the stronger the link will become." She had been doing some research on linking anyhow. There wasn't really that much information out there that she had found, most likely because very few telepaths would want to publish a book about the fact that they could form a mental link with certain people that lasted long distance.

The telepath threaded her fingers through Odions and let her mind sort of seep into his. Not into all his personal thoughts, but in a way that would form the link easily. She saw images flash past the inside of her eyes, and some thoughts but managed to keep herself out of all his deepest thoughts and keeps hers separated. There would be some bleeding over of course where he could see her thoughts at the moment, but she wasn't sure how far that went. Once she felt she had a secure connection she slowly drew her fingers away.

She could feel the connection like a rope, and all she had to do was sort of "tap" it to have it be activated. She did so, trying out the contact to see if it worked. Testing, testing one two three. Earth to Odion. This lovely little link lets us do things like share thoughts and images, and later I'll be able to relay them through the group. It should also let us be able to see through each others eyes to a certain extent. She let the thoughts drift over the link to him. She was having way too much fun with this to be healthy, but she didn't care. This was what it was all about. This group would be strong.

[Odion Martins]

Odion was a little hesitant, but who wouldn't be. "Here's to hoping we stay friends for some time to come then, hmm?" He asked, still charming in every conceivable way. His young mind didn't see any repercussions from making this 'mind connection', and he had every intention to bail if the ideas of those in the group, didn't match his. Yes he was mostly a follower, but he looked out for his own well being, first and foremost.

When Aki touched him, Odion could feel something drawing him in, like he wouldn't forget her in the future. He was also suddenly thinking about, him, and what to make of himself. It took a moment for him to realize these weren't his own thoughts, and he wondered if she was seeing how utterly amazed he was with her. She was very intriguing, and his dark blue eyes hadn't broken contact the entire time, just like their hands hadn't. He didn't know how much she could see, and he didn't want to assume that she could only delve into his mind as much as she allowed him to dig into hers.

Let's just say he was more than relieved to release her darker hand from his freckled one.

"Wicked," he said in an appreciative voice, unable to fathom the kind of power one would wield with that meta ability. Odion blinked as her voice was suddenly projected into his mind, and his eyes grew wider as he was suddenly looking at himself - wide eyed, and then smiling handsomely. Wicked he repeated in his mind, definitely useful for planning and plotting. He didn't regret this decision, and he hoped that she was receiving this loud and clear.

I hope you're letting me pay you back for some of those bagels? He thought hopefully, reverting back to light, flirtatious conversation. How deep can your thought invasion go? He asked next, his thoughts flying every which way, possibly confusing the girl as he didn't have as good of a connection on the process as she would. Odion didn't say much, but he did think a lot.

Perhaps his teammates would find him annoying in due time, what with his never ending thought process.

[Aki Welland]

As she connected with Odion his thoughts started to slowly leak through into her mind. Some of it was just surface things, and currently some of the images were too blurry for her to understand properly. Her mind was stil getting used to the fact that she was letting another person in as deep s she was. It was just like when she had formed the connection with Alice. For a few days afterward she had been a little fuzzy and was seeing things Alice saw whenever they were near each other. She tried to limit what she was seeing so tat she didn't invade too much. She didn't need to know everything aout everyone at this point.

She then realized she was seeing herself, and she was very amazed with how she looked. Or rather, Odion was amazed and she was picking up on this thought and emotion. She really appreciated how good she looked with her dark coppery skin and hair and her choice of color combination. Then she was back to looking at blue eyes, oh so very blue eyes, thinking her own thoughts.

Then she heard him projecting thoughts purposely, proving that the link was quite solid and operational. She smiled widely and looked outside for a moment. She was about to answer his last question when her brain exploded, making it feel as if she were being ripped in a thousand different direction. It was apparent that even though the boy didn't say much he had alot to think about and had many opinions on different matters. Aki dialed back the amount the link was from the normal amount to the barest link to minimalize the effect.

" I'd prefer not to think of it as a thought invasion when I can. I uess the link could go very deep if I forced it and if I had more skill. It won't though because I don't have the skill yet. And I have respect for other people. I'll only ggo as deep as I'm allowed." She didn't mention the fact that she almost always knew what other around her were thinking because she liked to taste the general thought atmosphere. With the group that slight tasting might go a little deeper, but she could learn to control that.

[Odion Martins]

Odion smiled as he knew the opinion Aki had about his eyes, which were probably one of his favourite features about himself. Suddenly, shooting pain coursed through his brain and he winced, wondering what the hell all that was about. It was like his thoughts had been interrupted completely and shut down, and now his mind was simply drawing a blank. It was like standing frozen in time, even though he knew damn right that he wasn’t – he would know, really.

“You’re welcome in my mind should the time call for it,” he offered politely, glad that he wasn’t receiving any of the girl’s thoughts. Honestly, he had enough trouble operating with just his thoughts alone. “I’m sure you’ll gain full control of your powers over the next few years,” he offered politely, his hands folded together on the table in front of him. The group would learn and grow from each other no doubt, and would probably end up being a force to be reckoned with.

He smiled still and took another bagel, not needing to be anywhere any time soon. “Did you need anything else from me love?” He asked, about to ask if they wanted to exchange numbers but that didn’t seem necessary. Telepathy was more reliable than phones, and cheaper too.

[Aki Welland]

She closed her eyes, taking a moment to rein in her control on the link. That would be something she would need to do all the time now. Every once and a while she caught herself trying to let the link open fully, but that would be too much for either of them to handle. She especially since she didn't have full control over her powers yet. In her mind Aki tied a mental ribbon around the link, securing it but keeping it minimal at this point in time. Later on they could widen it and make full use of what she should be able to do.

" I don't think I need anything else from you, but it would be nice if you'd stay and chat for a bit. I kind of just want to get to know you. I'd like to get to know everyone in our little group." She took another one of the small , crisp bagels and popped it in her mouth, munching quietly. The teen was quite enjoying herself at the moment. She never really sat down to talk anymore because she was always up and doing something. This nice little bit of quiet peace was nice for a change.

[Odion Martins]

Odion smiled softly. He had a feeling that Aki would be his favorite in the group. She wasn't annoying, she was smart, cunning, and had an amazing power. He definitely wanted to be on her good side, but their personalities seemed to mesh well. He might even like her better than Alice, although he would never voice this opinion. He had a feeling he wouldn't like Alice's lover very much, not that that was a problem, he could work around it, and he was unsure of anyone else he could meet, but he was happy that Aki had approached him. She cared about him, to an extent, something he simply wasn't used to.

"What would you like to know?" He asked, not exactly comfortable with sharing. The first thing that came to mind now was how much he loved teddy bears, Europe, and spending time with Rhett. Would she be able to see any of that? "You still enjoy conversation, despite having such a time saving power?" He asked, seeing as she would be able to know anything about him with a simple touch. He wondered if she could make connections with people accidentally by touching them, or if she could be selective, if it was more than simply touch.

[Aki Welland]

Even after she had asked the question a few images zipped thorugh her mind. She couldn't make all of them out clearly, but she did recognize the face of Rhett. She got the feeling Odion really, really like and Rhett, and there was nothing wrong with that. It wasn't her lifestyle choice anyway. She smiled and looked outside for a moment, seeing that it was getting later.

" Oh yes, I really enjoy verbal conversations. I tend to only use my telepathy when it's really needed. Some people...well, some people are afraid of it, you know? That I will get into their minds and just..start screwing things around. I won't because I think it's horrid." There was a difference between how she used her power and the horrible things it could be used for. Aki was trying hard not to go down that darker path.

[[sorry it's so short!]]

[Odion Martins]

(OOC: Just about as short as mine, no worries!)

Odion smiled genuinely. "I'm glad you think so." The redhead was more of a vocal person than a physical one anyways, especially when it came to fights. There were some people who managed to rub him just the right way though, and that usually ended in disaster for both parties. "I tend to be more of a secretive person, but I think you know that already," he said with a sheepish smile. He wasn't completely sure where this was going anymore, but he was hoping that at the end of the day, he would have made a new friend, and have someone else in his life he could trust.

He remembered then the gift he had brought for her. No, it wasn't to buy her affection, it was just something he was good at. And for some reason, he felt like he needed to prove himself. He was going to make damn sure that everyone knew he was an important part of the family, and irreplaceable part. He also wanted the group to know that he was good at making first impressions and winning people over. It was then that he dug into his pocket and pull out a key chain with a big letter 'A' on it. It was teardrop in shape and as blue as his dark eyes. The 'A' itself was white and it fit easily in the palm of his hand.

"I thought a gift would be in order for today, a commemoration of our first date," he said with charming flare, putting the trinket on the table for Aki to take. There were no gimmicks or tracking devices within. It was out of pure want for affection that Odion presented the prize and let Aki choose whether to take it or not. Making oneself vulnerable also managed to win people over. "I'm glad to have met you," he said in passing, taking the opportunity to perhaps leave, so long as she didn't have anything else that needed to be said. After all, she did enjoy talking more than simply tapping into people's minds.