New Game (Open)

[Phillip Lauer]

Two weeks ago, Phillip Lauer had returned to Hammel. It had been forever since he last walked through the halls of Hammel. It was truly a nostalgic feeling. He remembered that being there… Oh! And those looking exactly the same. It was weird. The place had changed so much, yet it was all still the same at the same time. He tried to recall the years he spent in his room or out and about, and his graduation in 2005… Man, those were truly good times.

Almost all the faces were now unfamiliar though. Everyone he'd gone to school with was probably out of Vermont by now, doing grand things. Phillip had to stay behind. The entire reason he came to Vermont in the first place was still here, and was going to still be here until she graduated high school. Danielle, his sister, had been telling him to get a life lately. She was a big girl now, after all. There was no reason for Phillip to still have to watch over her. But he refused to just leave. He would 'get a life,' though. He had a new job and was going back to school.

But, not as a student of course. He was a Greenview Community College student. And since he needed to make a living with a job he could put on his resume -- what he had been doing was definitely not something he wanted the world to know -- he decided to go back to Hammel. And, while security wasn't something he was looking forward to doing his entire life, it was something he did all the time anyway. So why not get paid for it?

He wasn't due to report for work today just yet, covering a night shift. He didn't mind though. He could spend all night walking around, patrolling, thinking of new ideas to throw on a canvas or in Photoshop later. So far, his designing wash't getting him anywhere and was turning in to more of a hobby instead of a future career.

Short sleeve black t-shirt, medium dark-blue jeans, and black tennis shoes. A white watch adorned his left arm, and a pair of black shades was hanging from the collar of his shirt. In his right hand a can of Pepsi, about half-way gone. What exactly was he doing? Nothing at all. Just sitting on a step in front of the school, taking in the evening sky. It was going to be dark soon and he would have to get ready for work. But for now, relaxation.

[Lani Hunter]

One thing after another. That was all Lani could think about. He was taking care of the kittens tonight and to be honest he didn’t know how Odion did it. They were driving him nuts! They were adorable but half the time he felt like he was running around making sure they didn’t hurt themselves or tear something up. So he had put them in their little nest and decided to blow off some steam off campus. He wanted nothing more than to go roof hoping. Run and jump and practice his craft. He wasn’t even sure that he wanted to steal something tonight. He had his quota and really he just wanted to remember the joy of rushing along roofs and balancing on fence posts. And should the opportunity arise…

The sun was just about to set and Lani had taken a page from Odion’s book and was going to slip through the gate at shift change. No one really paid attention then because the ones coming in for the night shift were tired either having been awake all day or just woken up and the ones leaving were so eager to do so that they clocked out mentally before they did physically. He had to admit that going out in secret was helpful but he still loved proving that he could sneak out right from under their noses. Keep him on watch indeed. Lani would like to see them try. And try they had. But they had also failed.

He was dressed simply in dark colored jeans and a dark gray shirt which, purposefully would match the shadows should he need to slip into them. He had his gloves in his back pocket but he really didn’t think he would need them. He looked down at his hands rough with calices. Gloves made hands weak. Lani had taken a great many years earning these calices yet still his hands bled when he caught something wrong. So the glove did come in handy, but he rather liked to be able to not use his gloves. Besides he really wasn’t planning to take anything so there would be no need to fear of fingerprints.

Opening the door Lani had to make a quick sidestep to avoid the person sitting on the steps. He didn’t quite make it. His foot knocked the man’s hand and the can out of it. His feet scrambled at the same time his power scrambled to catch the can. He had to jump the last step to keep himself from landing on his rump. What a terrible place to sit on the stairs. But then again had Lani been more observant this wouldn’t have been a problem. He looked up and with a faint relief realized that his power had succeeded, well kind of. There was a small puddle on the ground but from the weight of the can, it hadn’t lost much. His power released it into his hand and he held it out with an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that, man.”

[Phillip Lauer]

Yeeaa… sitting on the steps probably wasn't a good idea, especially at this school. People were always coming and going, and Phillip was thankful this guy who knocked over his unfinished soda didn't have super strength in his legs. He would prefer to not lose limbs because of where he decided to sit… But one can assume that losing a beverage is a better alternative. At least it didn't get on his clothes. He shot to his full six-eight height, hoping to avoid any of spillage.

Thankfully, Phillip was well versed in the ways of Hammel, having attended for a few years in the past. So, seeing a floating can of soda was not the strangest thing. He'd seen a guy with butterfly wings at school back in the day. Rule one at Hamel: except the unexpected. It was safe to assume that this kid had telekinesis, or maybe gravity manipulation. Something along those lines.

"It's okay," he said, making sure he was dry. All was good. And hey, he still had some left! He reclaimed his beverage and took a sip. Eyes scanned over the youngster's attire, raising his right eyebrow in speculation. "…Plan on robbing a bank or something?" He smirked. It definitely wasn't the most typical of attires, especially with the gloves poking out of his back pocket. Seriously, what the hell was this kid in to?

[Lani Hunter]

The man rose to his feet and Lani found himself craning his neck to look him in the face. Honestly how could a person be that tall? Lani unconsciously took a few steps back in order to get a better look at the man. Besides being tall he really wasn't too imposing. But Lani knew better than to assume that this guy was weak. Lani resisted the urge to trot up a few steps so that he was eye level with this guy. But no, he couldn't do that that would only let the man know he was intimidated by him. And from what he had learned at Hammel if you give people an inch they will walk all over you.

Now this guy seemed too old to be a student but too young to be a teacher. So why was he here? He could be a new security guard, he hadn't checked their records in a while. He smiled glad his apology was accepted. It seemed that a lot of people here were very sensitive and had this been another person he would not be surprised if he didn't get scolded for not looking where he was going.

Lani felt the man's eyes rake over him and he found himself laughing. "What?" He looked down at himself holding out his arms as if examining his clothing. "Do I look like I'm going to go rob a bank?" Lani asked a smile on his face as if he assumed this guy was joking. In reality even if the guy had a clue of what Lani was the joke would still be on him. Because for once Lani had no intention of robbing a bank tonight. Lani's smile didn't falter as he joked around. Lani sidled a little putting himself in an easy position to bolt without looking like he was. His whole body language said he was relaxed, but his muscles were tensed and he would soon leave this guy with a Lani shaped dust cloud if necessary.

[Phillip Lauer]

"Well, you're dressed in -- almost -- all black." He was hoping he wasn't going to rob a bank, though if he went to Hammel, he was sure it wouldn't be a difficult feat. With all of this different abilities locked in these halls, it was no wonder a group of them hadn't banded together to cause crime before. Seriously, could there be nothing be good-hearted metas in the world?

He looked over the boy again, shaking his head and sighing. He paid no attention to his body language. The only reason he thought about bank robbing was because of his choice in clothing colors. Though, now, it was going to be hard to get off his mind. Had metas committed crimes before? Certainly it was going to be something he was going to have to prepare for from now on, since he was going to be guarding various places.

"But I guess that's you kids new style or something. Where are you going though? It's going to be dark soon and I'm about to start my shift. I know I haven't been here in a while, but I'm still pretty sure Hammel has curfew. " He wasn't sure how old the kid was, but he didn't want him to be hit by car because he blended in with the shadows.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani looked down at himself again and tugged on his shirt. “Not really,” he felt the need to protest. But the statement was weak. It was gray. He leaned forward a little. “But between you and me, if I were going to rob a bank I wouldn’t use the front gate.” Perfectly logical. Who was this guy anyways? And why did he care if Lani was going to rob a bank or not? How wrong this guy was. Lani could have laughed if he heard this thoughts. He was a meta as was Odion and Rhett and all of them were thieves. Odion had partnered with Rhett and Lani both, but the latter more recently. They hadn’t exactly stolen anything together yet but it was only a matter of time.

He raised a brow and shrugged. He raised his chin defiantly and a chill raced through him. This guy wasn’t too much older than he was and yet he had the gall to call him a kid. “Really? I’m eighteen, not a kid and I certainly don’t have to tell you where I’m going.” He really could have lied and said he was running for a quick dinner off campus but really it was a pride issue. Lani was not a kid. He listened to his reasoning and shrugged he had to be honest he had never cared to look at what the curfew was.

“You’re a new security guard?” Lani guessed. If he was then this could be fun. Chances were he hadn’t read any of the files yet. Besides he was pretty sure that he could get out between now and curfew. But it would make sense. First day, don’t want to be late on the job. Soon he would blend in with the others and shift change would be simple again. Lani did his best to look innocent.

[Phillip Lauer]

"Well, yea, it's not black but… never mind." Phillip let the wardrobe choice go; he obviously was not going to win it with this one. "And why not? If you used the front gate, you would look normal." Perfectly logical, as it wouldn't bring attention to yourself. No one would wonder why you took the time to go the long way. Best place to hide is in plain sight.

"My bad, my bad," he smirked. Eighteen was, technically, not a kid. But he did look young; if he had to guess, he would've never said eighteen. More like fifteen… Sixteen, tops. And Phillip was 25. There was an eight-year gap between the two, though he could swear it was more like ten.

"Yea, new security," he took a sip of the soda, "Figured I'd help out my alma mater in some way. I guess you don't have to tell me where you're going…" He shrugged. He remembered times when he left campus to go see his sister. And plenty of those times he was leaving right before or coming back after curfew, so he knew the feeling.

"But at least gimmie your name. I need to start learning who this new generation of metas consists of," he switched the can from his right to his left, then extended the right hand to the other… They still did handshakes, right? Or had something changed in eight years? "Phillip."

[Lani Hunter]

Lani raised a brow, silly man. Did he know that back was the worst color to wear to rob a bank. Shadows were not black they were gray and if you stood in the shadows in black you might as well be standing in yellow against a white wall. Lani shrugged. "But if I walk through the front door you guys know I'm gone." He pointed out. If he went over the wall no one would know he was gone until he didn't show up for something.

That smirk didn't spell an apologetic tone at all. He smirked right back and rolled his shoulders pulling himself to his full height which unfortunately wasn't even a match with this guy considering he didn't even scrape anywhere near six feet. Really he couldn't look that young. If anything Lani was feeling more combative about this. He was an adult and if anything had been in an adult world for just as much as their age gap was. Lani's eyes flashed his mischief, this guy could prove a fun one to pull the wool over on.

Lani nodded glad his prediction was right. Unbeknownst to this poor man he had just landed himself on a list of targets. Lani loved nothing more than proving just how easy it was for him to slip through their fingers and how easy it was to pull a prank and get away with it. Lani had never taken authority particularly well. He smiled. "Then welcome," he said charmingly. He gave the man a smile and nodded as if approvingly. "Very good, then we're in agreement." Lani said enjoying how ignorance was making it easy for Lani to get away with things. In reality that was for a normal eighteen year old. Not Lani. Lani's mobility was highly restricted, due to his own fault yes, but also partially to the fact that his power was so unruly that they thought he was 'dangerous' to the public.

Lani rocked back on his heels ready to make an escape but he gave the man a smile. "Lani," he said with a bright smile putting his hand in the man's. How much he hoped the man would be cursing his name when he realized how he had been double crossed. "I hope you're prepared for what you've gotten yourself into." He said pleasantly. Yeah security at Hammel was not like security at any other school. Lani was almost glad he had stopped for a little chat.

[Phillip Lauer]

Well, that's if you stood in shadows with light around them. If one were to stand in shadows, at night, with very little light, black would be the optimal color. Anything else would stick out. "That is true." He had another response to the statement, but he noticed he was talking too much, getting a little too comfortable. He was far from anti-social, but he knew that talking too much would eventually land him in trouble, especially considering his next statement was about lying and essentially how to get past the whole 'they know I'm gone' thing. He had no reason to help Lani, as he soon discovered his name to be, not get caught.

"What do you mean? It's just Hammel." Oh god. Had they recruited someone who was a walking bomb? No, not that. They must've fired Dr. Neville and everyone had gone berserk. Phillip started thinking of a few outlandish reasons for what Lani said. What could have possibly changed about Hammel that much that warranted such a statement?

And besides, as he began to think, he had the talents to fend off pretty much anything. His time at Hammel had taught him the limits to his abilities, and his time away from Hammel was not spent simply living. Granted, he didn't use them as often as he did while in school, he still played with him, especially when he worked the random jobs he picked up. Phillip stopped letting his mind run wild, suddenly quite sure that he could handle whatever the institution threw at him.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani shrugged at the man’s agreement. In a black world that would be true but in the world Lani lived the world was gray. That was what shadows were always moving. Why Lani was giving this guy that kind of information he really didn’t know. He just wanted to give them a little more give and then he wanted to see what happened when he got past them again. Lani had no reason to dislike Phillip, in fact he seemed like a really chill guy. Someone that Lani might get along with but he just couldn’t trust security. They were on different sides of the everlasting war and no matter how much the two might get along they both knew their place as enemies.

A smile crossed his face and he shook his head a little. This guy really didn’t know what had happened. Perhaps people had always been sensitive about things and Hammel had to always deal with people like Lani and Odion. Maybe they had maybe they hadn’t but there was no reason for this guy to know that. Not if he just got back. If Lani knew that he had used to sneak out to see his sister then perhaps he would use that excuse and might have a little more respect for the man. “That’s it. It’s Hammel,” he gestured vaguely at the school in general, “You’ve got super powered teenagers high on hormones. You’re gonna have your hands full dealing with people who are very disagreeable.”

He smiled at Phillip and started to turn away. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back by curfew,” he lied. “But I would suggest the day shift; the graveyard shift is rather boring.” He smiled gave the man a little nod. Yeah, so that was a little bit selfish. Lani didn’t immediately dislike Phillip and he kind of didn’t want to meet him in a position where he would have to be defensive. Well hopefully tonight he could get back in after his little adventure without Phillip catching him. Though he kind of wanted to test the new security guard and see just how much he could get away with.

[Phillip Lauer]

…Phillip was a little disappointed at the statement; he was kind of hoping for their to be something wrong at Hammel now. But, he would be fine with the answer, especially if it meant that being security wouldn't be that hard now. "Oh, true…" He shrugged and took a sip of the remaining beverage.

He watched as Lani walked away, looking to his watch for a second. Phillip assumed the boy was lying, but what really could he do? If he was there age and needed to get out, he would have said the same thing. Besides, he could actually be back by curfew. Punishment wasn't listed under his job requirements so he had no choice but to let the kid go.

"Have fun," was all he could say to the other. He took a look to the door and decided to lean against the wall near the door instead. Hopefully anyone else coming out wouldn't run into him.

^{OOC: … i have no idea what else to do. xD}

[Lani Hunter]

Several hours later, and significantly after curfew Lani stood on the edge of the city shaking out his shoulders and panting but a smile on his face. He tipped his face up to the stars and flexed his gloved hands. How he loved the stars. The moment was nice as the breeze pushed through his hair as he stood on the edge of a building. This was the life. This here, no problems no worried, little did he know his world was about to be knocked out from under his feet. He sighed and turned back heading over the rooftops enjoying his feeling of flying as he moved from roof to roof.

Having forgotten about his meeting with Phillip Lani dropped to the grounding pulling off his gloves and walking up the drive to Hammel. He tucked his gloves back into his pocket. He slipped easily into the shadows as he moved into range of the gate guards. Causing a distraction with his power Lani slipped through the gate with a smile and a little snicker. So easy. He slipped easily back into the shadows and paused waiting a moment for the coast to be clear before he made his way across the open lawn toward the dorms.

It was so easy he didn’t even think that there would be a chance for being caught. He knew all of the shifts all of the rounds. No one would be around at this time he would have a few moments before he had to hide within the walls of the dorms to make his way up to his room and to bed. But Lani confident from his successful night of training didn’t think that anyone could touch him. Didn’t think that someone new might not follow the usual pattern.