Star Light, Star bright (Orion)

[Leiken Chu]

It had been a chaotic few days, his emotions were all over the place, his mind within the clouds he would now gaze at. At this point he didn't know what to trust. It felt safer to run, to hide, to not be known or bothered. However, he couldn't shake how nice he'd felt wrapped in his trainer's arms. Protected and not looked at as though he were merely another monster. He began to wonder why his own family couldn't be that comforting to him.

Shaking his head a bit Leiken sat at the edge of the lake on a bench. Most his age were elsewhere, but tonight he needed to be away. Sometimes he would come to the lake to clear his mind, to let the sound of the water over power the sound of pulses within his ears, and this was one of those days.

The stars in the night sky reflected within his half-lidded eyes. The moonlight brushed his skin, it was not warm like the sun, but it was still very soothing. He loved the night much more than the day. If it had grown colder. The bench was mostly empty, aside from himself, though it didn't seem as though he minded.

The cool air would have been a bother if not for the clothing he'd worn that day. A thick material long-sleeved shirt of a deep gray color and some jeans. A deep red scarf wrapped his neck though he wore no not much else outside of snow his snow boots.He exhaled heavily, raising his hands to grasp in the strands of his hair, "Ugh ! What am i going to do." he stated aloud to himself as his hands grasped into the strands of his own hair.

His head dropping as he slouched over somewhat. Letting that very head drop froward. Perhaps his exclamation had been too loud, but why should he care? He really did not. The only penalty would be attracting a nosy person who would ask what was wrong, but that was not likely to happen at this hour usually-- so he in luck on that fact alone.

[Orion Urswick]

Orion had quite a habit for late-night excursions into quite places outside of town. He no longer worked as an astrophysicist for NASA, but that didn't keep him from studying the stars and planets and constellations on a very regular, almost obsessive basis. Tonight he was planning on having a nice, peaceful night under a partially clear sky at the lake. With telescope in hand, he set off to find his usual bench by the water.

It was a bit chilly, so he had worn what he usually did - black jeans, a t-shirt, and his almost always-present leather jacket. Not really the expected look for a teacher, but it was what he was comfortable in, and no one except Estelle ever seemed to care. The telescope he carried was pretty small, but he still found it useful for casual outings like this.

Before he reached the bench, he heard a voice call out. At first he thought it was simply his ability - it wasn't unusual for him to hear random voices in the night. However, as he reached the bench, he realized he wasn't alone. Someone was already there, and upon inspection, Orion realized that it was Leiken, a student at Hammel. He wasn't particularly close to the boy, but he knew him well enough to recognize him. Orion wondered what on earth had brought him out here at this time of night.

"Oi! You alright there, Leiken?" he asked, taking the few steps left between himself and the bench and giving the boy a raised-eyebrow look. "Quite late for a student to be out, doncha think?" Without further speech, he settled down beside the student on the bench, looking expectantly over at him. A few whispers rose from the bench and made their presence known to Orion, but they were pointless and didn't mean anything to him.

[Leiken Chu]

Leiken's star-lit eyes stared distantly into the sky that particular night, he had so much on his mind, from vincent to the brat he'd encountered at the library. Not to mention the whole fear that the girl who had caught him in such an awkward manner with Vincent would start a rumor that would circulate like wild fire. The last thing he needed people believing was that he was sleeping with his trainer.

He pulled his scarf a little tighter around his neck, rubbing it against his face, somewhat to attempt to sooth himself as there was noone there to do it for him. The memories of his past, the life his powers had taken, it all was starting to become too much. Though he stopped in these motions as he thought to himself. If he trusted Vincent, would he ever feel less of a monster, and more of a man?

His hands had buried within his hair as he exclaimed to the open air under the impression that he was alone. However, the sound of another voice and his name reached his ears. He gasped audibly due to the start it gave him. He turned somewhat on the bench to find the source of the voice. It was then he saw the moonlit image of a familiar teacher. He was not close to the man, but he was aware of him just as he was of leiken. "Ah, Orion?" He questioned not really remembering how to pronounce the man's last name. Not that he really cared about such formality.

He ignored the question of whether or not he was alright for the most part though it was partially answered with hi response to the observation of him being out late. "You see me don't you" he shrugged slightly. Turning his eyes back toward the sky. Trying not to focus too much on the pulse that reached his ears as the other man sat on the bench near him. The moonlight lit his eyes giving depth to the pools that seemed almost like an abyss within the dark. "I needed somewhere I could think in peace." he responded as he rubbed at his arms to shake a bit of the chill that touched his body.

"What are you doing out here? shouldn't you be...I don't know...somewhere else that's not here?" He suggested out of defensive nature.

[Orion Urswick]

Orion quirked an eyebrow at the student's reaction. He wasn't strict on what students called him, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to get after Leiken anyway. "That's Mr. Urswick to you, Lei," he said solemnly with a serious expression, but broke into a grin a moment later and chuckled. Hopefully the boy would get the gist that he was mostly kidding. Still, it never hurt to show a little respect to your teachers.

He followed Leiken's gaze as he looked up, crossing his arms while still holding the telescope in one hand. "Of course," he replied simply, before lifting the object to his eye to look at a particularly bright star. If he remembered correctly, the student was a blood manipulator. Very interesting power. Orion found it quite fascinating, and couldn't help but wonder how dangerous he could potentially be. "This is as good a place as any to get your mind clear," he agreed, dropping the telescope back into his lap. Unfortunately, nowhere was ever really peaceful when Orion was around. He almost always was reacting to voices no one else could hear, not to mention he was just a quirky person in general.

He glanced over at Lei as he spoke again, lifting the object in his hand once more. "Whenever it's clear out, I like to find someplace where I can look at the stars," he told him, ignoring the defensive tone. "And unlike you, I don't have a curfew," he added with a grin. He was speaking lightly, completely at ease with the obviously somewhat unhappy student.

He raised his hands behind his head, leaning back against the bench. "What time are you supposed to be in your dorm?" he asked, not one to keep up with these sorts of things. Then he waved a hand, changing his mind. "Ah, doesn't really matter. I'm not going to tell anyone."

[Leiken Chu]

"That's Mr. Chu to you then, Sir. " He stated plainly. Leaning back to the bench he hugged his arms a bit further. Keeping his gaze on the sky as he spoke with a careless tone. One that lacked the respect the other man was likely used to as a teacher. "We're not at school" he muttered aloud.

"Are you looking for your belt?" He jested over Orion's belt when the other man looked up at the sky as well. Only looking to him from the corner of his eyes for a brief moment before he returned his gaze to the stars. "Yes. It is quiet. It's rarely quiet anywhere people are. That's why i like it. The only thing that could make it better would be if there were a pianist to play music along with the scenery." he spoke lazily. his tone sounding rather exhausted and filled with the stress that bothered his mind.

"Even in the quiet areas of school it is so loud." he stated fidgeting with his scarf once more. The multi-colored fabric holding loosely around his neck with it's shadowed threads. Shadowed by the lack of sunlight to give them the vibrant hues. "Why do you look at the stars?" he was curious. He wondered if people looked at them for the same reasons he did; A longing.

Though he flinched slightly to the mention of the curfew. "Perhaps not." he stated with a slight irritation to his voice. He nearly spoke crudely in regards to the other man pointing out his curfew. "There is still time." he lied. It was already past curfew for him, but to him it was worth the risk to get away somewhere that he did not have to hear the pulsing hearts of his classmates. "You're not, why? " he stated with a clear surprise in his voice.

Leiken seemed relieved, though slightly skeptical, drawing his legs onto the bench with him. folding them across one another as he leaned upon them. Still staring upward to the sky.

[Orion Urswick]

"Alright, Mr. Chu, if that's how you would like to be addressed," Orion replied with a nod and a grin. The student's mutter made him chuckle. It's true, they weren't. While many teachers would probably be offended by all this, Orion just found it amusing and bold. Lei was an interesting character.

He laughed slightly as the boy's question. "I wasn't, no, but Orion is one of my favorite constellations... For obvious reasons." Yes, he had been named after it, mostly because his grandfather had been hugely into astronomy. He had passed on that love to his grandson before he passed away. He tilted his head at Lei's words, smirking slightly. Ah, what it would be like to be somewhere completely quiet. He never had that choice. "It's never quiet for me," he told him smoothly, cocking his head further as more whispers came to him. "Ah, a pianist would be nice though." At least then the voices wouldn't seem so loud.

"They are," he agreed simply, though he was sure they both felt that way for different reasons. At Lei's question, he thought for a moment, before replying thoughtfully,"I always want to remind myself that there is more to this universe than this microscopic world we live in. All the pain we feel, the joy, the loneliness, the passion - none of it really matters in the end. We all just become... A memory, eventually." Perhaps it wasn't the happiest of mindsets, but it kept him sane. "I just have to believe there is something beyond this life, I suppose." If he didn't believe that, he would have probably withered away long ago.

Orion had a suspicion that it was already past curfew for the boy - it was quite late, after all - but didn't say anything, just kept his half-smile on his face as he looked up. "I don't see any reason to get you in trouble when you're obviously not being out late just to spite anyone," he replied calmly. "It's not like you're getting wasted at a party or anything, either. We all need to get away sometimes." He could understand that more than most anyone.

[Leiken Chu]

Leiken twitched somewhat, "Lei is fine." He corrected. Seemingly aggravated that the other man actually took it seriously. Or so he thought. He wondered if the man thought by calling him his last name he would get the same in return. Such was not likely the case at least not outside of the classroom. Leiken was far to stubborn for that.

Leiken smirked faintly when the teacher laughed at his joke. Satisfied that he'd been able to get that amusement to pass to the other man. Though Leiken would hold his lazy gaze now fixated upon the other man. "I see. I wonder if that name passing to you passed along a fate to be tied to the stars." he mused giving a faint smirk to the thought of names binding fates.

"Never? " he chuckled. "It's your own fault for becoming a teacher." he stated assuming the man meant because he was always busy in the school. "It hasn't been quiet for me in years, but it's more quiet here. Which is why i come here." He stated as he leaned to his legs. "I agree. Or at least a piano available to play." he stated plainly as his gaze drifted toward the water nearby.

Leiken's expression drew a faint bit of sadness to the teacher's explination. It was almost depressing to think about becoming only a memory in the end. Though the more he thought about it the more he found the idea almost romantic within his mind. To be a memory for people meant that even after he left the world part of him would remain behind. He shook his head somewhat as if dismissing his thoughts in that manner. "That I am not sure of, but if there is. I hope that the journey to get there takes us through the stars." he stated as he watched the night sky's reflection in the water ripple to distortion with each break of the water's surface by a breeze.

"Tch. " he stated to the statement the other man gave. As if he did not believe that somewhere down the road the fact would not be used against him. "Yeah...try telling that to the keepers though." he mused with a small smirk. Though he'd never been caught sneaking out he was sure it was known when he did which made it all the more entertaining for him. "As for partying, there's not much to celebrate right now." he shrugged.

[Orion Urswick]

"Lei, then. Good. I like Lei. Leeei." Orion let the word drag out of his mouth, slightly amused. He was easily amused by anything, really. If he could be described in one word, it would definitely be quirky. Or unpredictable. Hm.

"It's quite possible," he agreed with Lei's statement, musing. He had never really had a choice in whether or not he liked astronomy - he literally just grew up with that love in his veins. He couldn't imagine a different passion. "Orion Astre. What other existence would fit for a name like that?" he laughed.

"Oh, no, teaching is fantastic," Orion replied, tilting his head back in an almost humorous manner. "My ability is what keeps the silence away. I hear conversations, from the past, usually, but also the future. Just whispers, all around me, constantly." He gave a lopsided grin. "Drives me mad, and keeps me sane." Because if it wasn't for the whispers, he would never be able to hear Sophie's voice again. "Well, that's something we have in common then, Lei," he told him, tilting his head back down. Both of them, alone and yet never really completely isolated.

Orion was lost in his own thoughts as Lei was, and nodded as he spoke. "Aye, me too," he replied. "I always wanted to go into space. But, never got the chance. If I had stayed at NASA I might have done, but..." He shrugged. There were more important things. "Someday, we'll get there." His grandfather's dying words echoed in his head. Don't you worry about me, lad. I'm going to see the stars.

Orion cleared his throat. It was his habit to dwell on the past. "Don't worry, really. I have no intentions of telling anyone. I'm enjoying our chat." He meant it, too. Sometimes it was nice to have deep conversations with people you didn't really know all that well. He looked over at the boy, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? Any particular reason why?" He didn't expect the student to spill anything to him, but he was always willing to have a listening ear.

[Leiken Chu]

"Lei. It's like l-a-y. " he made sure to make sure that the other male wouldn't forget his name or how to say it. Though he himself seemed amused by the other man's demeanour. He seemed almost like another student, rather than a teacher, which was one of the most amusing points about it.

"That is a good question." he stated thinking on it. "Maybe an actor. Or a musician. " he stated though neither sounded like they fit that name more than what the man had already become.

"It is? I don't see how. " he stated though he was curious as to what teachers found so great about it. You had to deal with alot of people who had alot of troubles constantly. They were always loud, obnoxious, and nosy. Why would anyone enjoy teaching those things? Lei truly couldn't grasp it. He smirked a little behind the fabric of the scarf that covered the lower portion of his face still. As it usually did when he wore the scarf. "mm. The only way i could ever find silence is to walk on the border between life and death. " he shook his head a bit.

Lei stared toward those stars, extending his hand to reach above his head as far as he could get it, his fingers curling faintly as if he were trying to latch onto the stars that were much father out of reach than he would have ever imagined. "I want to disappear into them and take everything about me along with me. " he stated as he spread his fingers in a more relaxed state. Seeming almost childish in the way he stretched to reach for them. "Jesus i'm lame." he stated aloud as he lowered his arm.

"Tch. We'll see. " he knew very well all it took was one hurt feeling for alot of people to run and tattle. He wondered how long this man would put up with his attitude before he did the same--if at all. "nn.." he stated as the other man asked him of his reasoning for saying such a thing. There it was, that thing he hated, the questioning. However, it was his own fault, he had given the opportunity. "Misunderstandings. Training. Just unimportant stuff. " he stated looking to his bruised fingers. pulling his scarf off his chin a bit so that he could take in a fresh breath of air. Though in turn the bruising at the edge of his mouth displayed only lit by the ambiance of the area. The woman had healed the greater portion of his injuries, but he had not been comfortable enough with her touching his face. He didn't like anyone to really--at all.

[Orion Urswick]

"Lei," Orion repeated one more time for good measure with a nod. Maybe he was a bit childish, but in his mind, everyone should have an inner child. It made life fun!

"Well, I can't play a musical instrument worth my life, but I have always imagined my face on the big screen," he mused with a grin, picturing it now. He was a quite normal-looking man, in his opinion, but his facial expressions could be quite dramatic.

"I get to share what I'm passionate about with a younger generation in the hope that they'll pick up where I leave off when I'm dead," Orion replied a little airily. "Of course, there are always students whose heads I would like to bash against the table buuuut," he held a finger to his lips, looking seriously at Lei. "Don't tell anyone I said that." He grinned a moment later, dropping his hand again. "Well, that's a bit depressing," he replied to Lei, keeping his voice light. "Honestly, I think I'd go mad if I didn't hear the voices." Hell, some people thought he already was.

Orion watched Leiken out of the corner of his eye as he reached up, his smile fading slightly at the sight. Lei was obviously troubled to some extent, and reminded Orion of himself when was was a boy. Always reaching out for something bigger than themselves, believing that there was something more to life than what one could see. "Not lame. Just a dreamer," Orion corrected, his smile returning as he looked over at the student.

"We'll see indeed," he replied with a nod, crossing a leg over the other. Lei seemed to regret having said what he did, and Orion was about to say that he didn't have to tell him anything, but before he could, the boy answered in quick, short words. Orion nodded understandingly. "Understandable," he replied, not really believing they were unimportant since Lei had deemed them important enough to bring up. "How is your training going?" he asked, always curious to know how students were doing. He had been tempted to become a trainer himself, but he wasn't sure how well he would do at the job, considering he had little control over his own ability even now.

[Leiken Chu]

"You've got it." he confirmed with a faint smile. Lei would have agreed with the man on the matter of having inner children. Though Lei often felt like he was somewhere in between a child and an adult anyway. In alot of ways he was a child, but in others he was an adult. His age was like that. He could buy porn and cigarettes but not drink himself into a toilet for a few more years.

Lei chuckled lightly, "You have the face of someone who could be on screen. Maybe in a comedy." he mused due to the man's unique personality. Or at least what he'd seen of it thus far.

"That's a good reason." he stated plainly. It wasn't a compliment or an insult at all. It was just an observation. Leiken tilted his head somewhat, he wondered silently what it would be like to pass on knowledge to someone else, and after a moment he'd come to the conclusion that it would be an amazing feeling. "To leave behind a legacy that is not of blood and death. That is a beautiful thought. " he concluded.

Lei's thoughts were drawn off to the statement about bashing some student's heads against the table, he found himself grinning, highly amused by the admited feeling. "I can't say that I would blame you if you did." he noted. Knowing a few people he wished he could beat into a table until the life was gone from them. Lei responded with a movement of his thumb and index finger across his lips. "my lips are zipped." he assured. He smiled as his gaze had returned to the stars. Though it was a sad sort of smile.

"Depressing, perhaps, but better really. " he stated with a shrug. After all, it was better to vanish than to become a monster who destroyed everything around them. As he lowered his hand and took a look back into reality he would give a small laugh to the correction. "A dreamer I am. " he stated with a nod.

He licked at his bruised lips a bit, the air having dried them from his speaking much more than he normally would, he didn't know why but he found the man beside him's company somewhat relaxing. Perhaps it was because he wasn't trying to teach him or pry rudely into things he didnt want to talk about. Leiken made a mildly distressed sound as the question about his training was brought up, "My training is...complicated. " he tried to word it in a way that wouldn't bring up too many questions. "My first lesson ended up a disaster. I don't know what vinny was thinking when he surprised me like that." he shuttered a bit.

The thought of all that terror he'd felt that first day of training made him hug his arms quite tightly to his body. "You said you'd go mad if you didn't hear the voices of your students right? Well, i feel as though i am going mad because i hear the students too much." he added.

[Orion Urswick]

"Oi, are you saying I have a funny-looking face?" Orion asked, pretending to be offended. He broke into a grin and a laugh a moment later. "Well, it's true." How many times had Estelle made fun of his ears, or his nose, or something else? He couldn't count the times.

Orion nodded in agreement. In truth, he would probably like to work at NASA more than being a teacher, but Hammel was the only place where he felt at least somewhat whole anymore. Moving back to where he used to be would only tear open old wounds and memories. And he did enjoy passing on his knowledge. "Nope. No blood and death involved," he replied rather cheerily. That was all in his own past.

"Well, that'll be our little secret, then," he replied, grinning a little manically. Of course, he would never actually harm a student. He was not a violent man, just... Misunderstood.

There was nothing wrong with dreaming.

Orion wasn't going to continue to pry, since the way Lei reacted meant the subject was obviously touchy for him. "Ahh. I know what you mean," he nodded. His training hadn't really involved much; mostly it was just to keep him from going mad every time his abilities made him hear whispers all around him, all the time. He had been able to control them for a while, back in his better years, but after Sophie had died, he had lost control over them again, and didn't fight to get it back. "Vinny? Vincent?" Orion replied, a little amused. He was familiar with the man, though not overly so. He seemed like an interesting guy, though. "I'm sure he must have had something in mind. Trainers are supposed to know what they're doing," he added with a smile. Yeah, maybe it was good he wasn't a trainer. He didn't know what he was doing half the time.

He sensed Lei's distress and, after a moment, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Actually, it's not the students," he told Lei. "It's... My wife. She used to work here, at Hammel. She died about ten years ago, but I can still hear her." He hadn't told a student about it before, but it felt like an appropriate moment. "It gets better. I promise. You gain control, you get focused, you habituate. It won't be like this forever." That, he was almost certain of.

[Leiken Chu]

Laughed slightly, "Not exactly, But sure why not~" He joked right back despite himself. "could be worse, you could have a mug like mine and not be good for show business at all." he noted.

"That is lucky for you." he stated when the man mentioned that there was no blood and death smearing his legacy. he exhaled heavily, wondering if he would ever be able to go through a day where it was not on his mind, for even just one day. He hoped there would be a time like this.

"Our secret~" he cooed giving the man a grin then. He wondered what it would be like to see a teacher smash a student's face into a desk. He chuckled a little to his own imagination.

"Oh.. yeah sorry . Vincent. That's my trainer's name. I call him vinny, i think it aggravates him due to his rules of honor, but it amuses me to see him flail about over it." he noted with a laugh to the imagined flailing. "he does know, but it's other factors really." he stated with a sigh.

Lei nearly recoiled to the touch, taking in a breath as his own weakened state of mind almost immediately caused his abilities to try to control that other man's blood, he held his breath for a moment as he felt the other man's pulse through that hand. His ability would urge that blood to flow more quickly within the other man through the contact. "it's not the students?" he would breathe out shakily.

"Your wife? " lei seemed struck with an expression of pain at those words. Though he looked down a little to avoid it being seen long. "I'm sorry..." he stated softly. "I hop you're right. I lost someone i cared about in the past too. It's probably not the same, but it still bothers me. I want to gain control so those events don't repeat themselves." he stated rubbing his neck a bit. Pulling his scarf off so that he could breathe easier.

[Orion Urswick]

"Ach, don't be so hard on yourself, lad. Your face is much prettier than mine." Orion chuckled, fiddling with the telescope in his hands. "Just wait until you're ancient like me, and then you can complain," he added with a wink.

It was funny, how easy they were sharing information with each other. Orion was a chatty person by nature, but he didn't typically share such personal stuff with students. Lei just seemed the type to be able to relate. He really did remind Orion of his younger years.

He laughed out loud at the student's reason for his trainer's nickname. "Oooh, boy, I bet you two have a lot of fun," she chuckled, thinking about the rather conservative older man and what his reaction would be to being called Vinny. "I've been meaning to talk to him. Seems like we might have some things in common." He wondered what 'other factors' Lei was talking about, but again, he didn't feel like it was his business to pry.

He frowned slightly at Lei's reaction to his touch, and slowly withdrew his hand. He hadn't meant anything by it other than a friendly pat, but the student was obviously a bit nervous about it for some reason. And why did Orion's hand suddenly feel warm, and why did his pulse feel like it had quickened? He could only assume it had something to do with Lei's ability. He paused, then offered,"I understand what it's like to have abilities that seem to take over your life, Lei. If you ever need someone to talk to about it, I'm here to help you through it. That's what we're here for." He wouldn't mind either way, but the option was there if the boy wanted it.

Orion nodded, his expression darkening. "She had cancer. There was nothing that could be done." The words were dry, emotionless. She had been his world. Now all he had were the stars. He nodded to what Lei was saying, wondering if he was understanding it correctly. "Did you hurt someone you didn't mean to?" he asked quietly. It wouldn't be a first time - quite a few metas hurt people when their abilities manifested, or even afterwards. "You're not alone if you have. I've had friends that has happened to, too." He offered this information to make Lei know that he wasn't going to judge him if that's what had happened.

[Leiken Chu]

Lei's cheeks reddened a bit, he cleared his throat, thankful that his scarf had hidden most of his face at that point. "Tch. Flattery. I'm not complaining too much. I just don't think i have a face for fame. Whereas you do." he stated with a firm nod.

Lei didn't really share much about himself willingly either. Most of the time the person had to already know it for him to speak of it. Or have a great deal of his trust. However, with Orion, it felt like they'd been friends for years. Despite the age gap they shared.

He smiled faintly to the suggestion that he and vincent had fun. He hadn't really thought about it much before, but he supposed it was fun to be around the other man. Even if they were often exchanging wits. "I feel that it is fun, yes. It's deffinitely not terrible, but i still don't trust him. He stated firmly. At that point in time he was still undecided on the matter. "I think that you would. Perhaps you should visit him. Though he does seem quite busy, so i'd schedule rather than just showing up. " he noted since he was one that would randomly visit offices without really having a founded reason.

He made an almost distressed sound. Part of him did wnt to talk about it, to have someone to relate to, but those walls of ice would forever keep him safe. So he believed anyway. "I will consider it. Until then please don't touch me. I don't want you to get hurt. You're to nice a man. " he stated as he pulled his scarf around his neck once again tightly.

Lei looked to the other man with a sympathy written on his features that he was not good with expressing in words. Though he made a mild sound as the man pointed out his flaw, "I did. " Lei stated with regret soaking his tone. "Maybe. that's what people have said. it doesn't make me feel any better about it. " maybe there would be one day when Lei was okay with saying outright what his ability was, but today was not one of them.