Roads Untraveled(Odion)

[Lani Hunter]

In reality Lani thought it would be rather impossible for Odion to look ridiculous. At least if he started to Lani would be right there being ridiculous and encouraging the bad behavior. Lani cared about what people thought of him but there was a point where he knew that acting the class clown would make people think he was funny instead of ridiculous so if he was digging a hole for himself he might as well dig to China. When they ran out of stories to tell each other then they would have to start making their own stories together. Lani doubted that he would ever fully figure out Odion, boring would never happen. Odion was mysterious even when Lani thought he had found another piece of the puzzle. Lani still hadn’t figured out that with every piece that he found there were infinitely more that he didn’t have. People were also dynamic and Lani was finding that some of the pieces he had fit in at the beginning no longer fit quite well in place anymore.

“The double edged sword,” Lani commented remembering a quote he had read somewhere. As much as words could be weapons against others they did just as well a job attacking the user if the user wasn’t so good with them. That was the problem that Lani fell into more often than not. Lani cocked his head at the phrase and when Odion explained it he snorted out a laugh. “Nada puta?” Lani tried out and shook his head. “I think being an etymologist would be a great but frustrating career.” How did ‘swim frog’ become ‘swim bitch’? Languages were dynamic and some of the died. They lived with the people who spoke them and through them they thrived and spread. But then sometime languages and cultures were attacked and such things caused them to become damaged and die. Even the difference between the American accent and British accent. Same language but different dialect. A different species of the same voice of humanity. Lani looked at Odion with sudden light of interest in his eyes. “You lived in France, you said, so does that mean you can speak French?”

Lani hated feeling helpless more than anything and knowing he couldn’t help Odion was killing Lani. Action was something Lani did to easy his worrying, it did him no good to worry with nothing to alleviate it. When Caroline was sick he had occupied his hands and time with something useful. Maybe the most important thing that Odion could learn from his experience was that he didn’t have to be perfect and he didn’t have to be alone. It was clear enough that Lani’s mother adored him and his sister too. His father was a tough man to crack but it was possible that sooner or later he too would come around. Lani wasn’t sure what was going through Odion’s head but Lani wanted to understand and he wanted to help. He gulped, how much could he, as a friend, do for Odion? Well Lani would just have to get creative. It was a challenge, something he could do to alleviate tension. Lani smiled at Odion. “I’m really glad you’re here.” He wouldn’t let Odion think that he was letting him down.

Nodding Lani smiled. “Sounds good to me.” Lani laughed and leaned against the counter for a moment watching Odion with a sly expression on his face. “Oh I’ve gotta see this,” Lani teased and started to follow Odion back out into the living room. He took a sip of water and pointed a finger at Odion with the hand holding the water. “I’m getting close.” He wasn’t. The other chair was occupied by his father and Lani wanted to keep a close eye on the trick so he leaned on the back of the chair his mother was sitting in and watched with keen eyes. “You a magician?” His father asked nodding at the cards and giving Odion a level stare. Lani shot him a sharp look, he was trying to get a rise out of Odion. Lani smiled at Odion and tipped his father’s chair back just enough to give the man a startle. “Psh, I’m the magician, Odion’s just trying to keep up,” he teased. His father snorted and commented dryly, “Always hiding behind cheap tricks.” Lani frowned they really weren’t going to do this now were they? “They’re not cheap tricks if they’re done by skill,” Lani shot back. His father shifted a little. Apparently they were going to do this now.

Luckily his mother jumped in with a laugh reaching up to grab Lani’s arm as if she were afraid he would move against his father. “Alright, boys, I love magic and everyone knows you two combined are about as magically challenged as they come.” For a moment Lani and Kevin Hunter mirrored each other’s expression of a sly half smile. “Odion, dear,” his mother encourage jumping in and playing damage control, “I would love to see a trick.” Caroline bounced a little and nodded. “Please,” Caroline added in giving him her sweetest puppy dog look. Lani raised a brow at Odion holding back a laugh giving him an expression somewhat between feinted disinterest and eagerness.

[Odion Martins]

Odi’s bad habit of drinking got him into a lot of trouble. For someone usually so careful with what he said and did, alcohol made him do things he normally wouldn’t do, simply because he had stopped caring. If anyone wanted information from him, it would only take a few stiff drinks. At least he wasn’t a cheap drunk. He and Lani already had quite a few stories together, and Odi wanted to just keep adding to them. Of course, spending more time together meant less stories to tell. No one wanted to hear the same thing which they had lived through. At least Lani was figuring things out, on his own time as usual.

“Exactly,” Odion commented, glad that Lani understood him. It mattered not if no one else ever did. Odi used so many double entendres, so many phrases which could be taken more than one way, it left enough room for him to wiggle out of any situation. Even double entendre wasn’t in English, his point was vastly proven. Odion laughed at Lani’s terrible accent when pronouncing the words. So it was still possible to have fun apparently. And well, Lani was pretty well saying ‘nothing bitch’ and nobody knew. It was excellent to say things that no one else could understand. Nodding a couple times, Odion had that light in his eyes. “I can speak French,” he gave Lani a look, “je t’aime.” He gave Lani a wink. “Spanish too: te amo.” He assumed Lani would know these frequent phrases, but his heart still leapt at telling Lani he loved him.

“I’m glad to be here,” Odion said in honesty, just as he had before when Caroline was giving him the grand tour. Just because he was nervous to be here, didn’t mean he wasn’t happy to be here too. The two were very opposing emotions, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t occur simultaneously. The redhead laughed heartily as Lani claimed he was getting close to knowing Odi’s tricks. “Believe in whatever illusions get you by,” he said smartly, in hearing range of the rest of Lani’s family. Odi picked up the cards again, shuffling them and making it look fancy.

“Please,” he said to Lani, before offering Lani’s father the cards this time, fanned out evenly, “pick a card.” Odion easily ignored the bickering, even though everyone present could feel the tension in the room. Odi was only left hanging for a few seconds, staring at an older version of Lani. After a nudge or two from wife and daughter, the older man relented, snatching a card and waiting for the next set of instructions. “Show your family, you’ll need witnesses for this one.” Odion already knew that Lani’s father had picked a four of diamonds. This wasn’t just a trick though, it was a story, and Odi knew Lani loved stories. The trick was for him, no time tricks necessary. After returning the card to the pile, Odion shuffled them again and looked at his audience, and they all seemed interested already. “There once was a peasant, who only longed to be someone in life,” Odi pulled out the four of diamonds, but the trick wasn’t over yet. If anyone was unimpressed, they would surely change their mind in a few moments. Setting down the card on the table, Odion was still standing as he went along.

“The prince had no sympathy for the peasant. The peasant was older but the prince had no respect for anyone. The peasant was excellent at tying saddles in the stable, but the prince was not. So when, driven by impatience, the prince tied the saddle on his own, the peasant couldn’t be blamed when the horse returned without him after a trip to the hills.” All this was said as Odion, without looking, retrieved the Jack of diamonds from the deck, which was placed on top of the four on the table. “The queen was a good lady, and though mourning her son, she still had love for her people, even the peasants,” the Queen of hearts, was also placed on top of the Jack after being shown, “so when the King was overruled by democracy,” the King of Spades to be exact, the last on the pile, “who better to rule than someone who deserved a new chance at life?” Slipping his fingertips under the small pile, Odion lifted up the King of diamonds for the Hunters to see, no longer a peasant. Collecting the cards together again, Odi tried to look as meek as possible as he made them into a pile. “It just goes to show anything is possible. Even a peasant can make a name for himself.” So perhaps the story was rushed at the end, but it was more than Odion usually had to say. He wanted to smile over at Lani, but that would seem suspicious, so he smiled at Lani’s mom instead. He didn’t mind it so much when she called him Odi.

[Lani Hunter]

It was easy to get anyone to talk if they had a few drinks in them. Lani loved drinking with Odion just for that reason, the inhibitions slipped away and honestly Lani was just as drunk as Odion was and no less careful with his words. Alcohol tended to amplify states of a person, Odion stopped caring and Lani got more cautious. He would never forget when Odion thought he was lost in a manhole. That was perhaps the funniest thing Lani had ever encountered. Stories were fun, and they could always be remembered differently. There would always be something to talk about, moments alone they had had when something had happened, things people had said and thoughts that had been brought up. Besides they still needed to settle the matter of planning or not planning. That would give them plenty to talk about.

Lani felt a moment of pleasure wash over him at the thought that they finally were understanding something about each other and agreeing on something. Lani shook his head and gave Odion a pout. Honestly Lani would be glad to use words that no one else understood if he understood them himself. He could do phrases but beyond that he was completely lost. Odion’s French was beautiful and Lani knew enough to know what that meant. He blushed a little and his heart skipped a beat, he touched Odion’s hand with a smile. “Oh! I know Spanish!” He blurted then laughed at himself, “Well, kind of. I mean they taught it to me…” He held up a hand to hold the moment while he collected himself. “Hola, Feliz Navidad… uh… ¿Como esas?” And that was about it. Lani didn’t even bother to drop the ‘h’ sound from ‘hola’. He smiled jokingly, “I think they just passed me to get me to go away.” He shook his head. Yes, with Lani’s skill he could probably hold a conversation with a two year old.

Lani’s smile widened and he found himself laughing. He was going to do just that. He was still trying to figure out how Odion had done the first one. He couldn’t even do it when he himself knew what the card was. How was it that Odion could not know the card, shuffle the deck and then picked out just the right card? “Just wait,” Lani boasted. He had a feeling he could do the trick with a slight of hand but he wasn’t sure that that was how it was usually done. The best he had come up with was to slip the card up his sleeve when he shuffled but even that was difficult without having to use his power and then slip it back in. Without being notice, Lani could do it but he wasn’t sure he would pull the wool over Odion’s eyes. He wasn’t sure what would be more embarrassing, that he still hadn’t gotten the trick or that he had spent so much time trying to.

Grinning Lani hid his laughter behind his hand. Lani swallowed nervously when Odion turned to his father. He watched the older man with a great amount of suspicion. But surprisingly enough the old man yielded and picked a card. Now that the trick had started Lani was watching the four of diamonds like a hawk. But it inevitably got lost in the deck. Sure Lani could probably follow it with his power, but where would the fun be in that. Odion started in on a story and Lani found himself leaning closer listening and watching carefully. When he placed the four of diamonds on the table he got a little ‘ooh’ of excitement from the ladies and Lani nodded his head a little bit. His father huffed a little as if unimpressed but leaned forward all the same. Lani glanced at him and smiled knowing that the trick couldn’t be over yet. Lani finished his water and sent his cup to a nearby table. He rested his elbows on the back of the chair and watched Odion with a great interest.

Lani narrowed his eyes wondering how Odion had gotten the card he wanted out of the deck. Of wondering if it was luck and he was just working on what the deck was giving him. Lani straightened and he smiled like he had pulled the trick himself. The king of diamonds. How had that happened? Lani smiled, very impressive. Always a new trick with Odion. His mother clapped her hands a little and laughed. “Oh that was amazing, Kevin don’t you think so?” The older man nodded his eyes wide then narrow as he watched Odion. “Impressive,” he admitted before giving Odion a smile. Lani breathed a little sigh of relief. “How did you learn tricks like that?” His father asked politely. Lani glared at him, knowing better. He was trying to put Odion on the spot, trying to get Odion to admit something that the redhead probably wouldn’t want to admit. Lani found himself holding back a smile. His father would be sadly mistaken if he took Odion for someone he thought he could manipulate. “Daddy,” Caroline complained, “If he explains it it won’t be magic anymore.” "That's right," Lani added just dying to dig into his father's skin, perhaps his father wasn't the only one at fault. "Besides, I've been trying to get Odion to tell me that for months!"

[Odion Martins]

Odion wasn’t opposed to saying how he truly felt either when under the influence. He also turned into a goofball, there was no better wayto describe his antics. And so long as Lani didn’t start calling Odion his little gingerbread man, they could still be drinking buddies. Odion wanted to think that they would always have something to talk about, always have something to disagree and argue over, and always have time to make for one another. It had happened when they were friends, so maybe now the time would just be quality.

Odion admired Lani for remembering the quotes he loved. It was one thing to remember everything, but Lani stored what was important, and Odi liked hearing the little quips Lani spouted out every once in a while. Everyone had different ways of using words, and while Lani deemed himself not as good as Odion, perhaps he just used and saw them different. Odion probably wouldn’t like having conversations with himself anyways, and he liked Lani’s perspective on things, even though it often drove him insane. Odion was never happy to be in the spotlight, except for now. Lani’s hand on his was the kind of insanity Odion relished. “It’s the same in Italian,” he explained, and smirked as Lani tried speaking Spanish. And when Lani made him laugh, it felt like laughing was made just for Lani. “I think you’re right,” he said, teasing the man and shaking his head. No, Lani didn’t have a flare for different languages.

The only trick Odi had explained to Lani was the trick deck with magnets. Of course, anyone could figure that out, the instructions came with the trick decks and Lani would’ve figured it out eventually. It was true that Lani had telekinesis, but he didn’t know which cards Odion wanted to use, and surely his power wouldn’t recognize the face of the card, only the card itself. Odion felt quite proud of himself for being able to trick a telekinetic, but he had tricked a mind reader before so Lani would have to pay close attention if he wanted to figure out Odi’s true tricks, not that Odi would let him.

The best part about perfecting his tricks though, was sharing them with someone. Even though Odion didn’t like people, he did like Lani, so who better to share his tricks with? The rest of the audience wasn’t too bad either, and though not everyone seemed as interested as he was in showing the trick, eventually they would ask him for more. Cards tricks were all about more, along with suspense and mystery. It was why when he told the story, he kept his eyes on the family before him. Telling a story which had nothing to do with him, or them, made it easier for him to talk about. It was a card trick, it was unrelated to the present or who he was, or so he thought. Besides, shuffling while keeping your eyes off the deck always impressed people for some reason, though he didn’t see the different between that and typing without looking at the keyboard.

Putting the cards back on the table, Odi let his hands fall to his sides, giving a little bow for everyone’s amusement. If he could just stay focused… The redhead looked back and forth between everyone, smiling to himself. “I taught myself a few, picked up the rest along the way,” he laughed then, “and the internet has a lot to offer.” There was exactly one YouTube channel he watched. Odion didn’t see any harm in the question, it wasn’t like the trick itself was being explained. Kevin could teach himself too. “A good magician never tells his secrets,” he said to Lani, “you really should quit your complaining.” Odi was the devil in disguise, didn’t Lani know that yet?

“Want to see anotha?” He offered, before any more questions could be asked. Odion had enough tricks to keep them all busy for another forty minutes, he calculated it out exactly for when the timer in the kitchen would go off. Some of the tricks Lani had already seen, but Odion didn’t mind doing them again, he didn’t think they were any less boring. Mindful of the cards in his hands, Odi knew they were a sort of homing device, though his eyes kept flicking back to Lani more often than anyone else. He wasn’t trying to distract Lani’s family, he was trying to keep himself present. When the timer did go off, Lani’s mother was quick to rise and insist she could do everything while they waited, though she did chastise herself for not setting the table sooner. Caroline offered to do so, and the three males were left in the room to their own devices.

Odion set his cards down on the table once more, and Kevin reached out to them. Odi’s hands twitched, watching as his most prized outlet was flicked through. Lani’s father didn’t want to believe in the tricks and now he was looking for a trick deck when there wasn’t one. No, he hadn’t said so, Odion could just tell. Any friend of his son’s was a thief too. Kevin gave Odion a look that the redhead couldn’t quite put his finger on, but it certainly wasn’t welcoming. Perhaps Kevin believed Odion has used his powers for the tricks, making them believable with no skill involved.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani had to admit he liked drunk Odion. Not only was he talkative but he was hysterical. Lani had half a mind not to drink one time they were together so he would get the full effect of Odion drinking. But really Lani couldn’t let Odion had all the fun. Besides who ever liked to discuss philosophy sober? Lani had enough nicknames for Odion as it was, what would one more be? So long Odion never met Eri Lani figured he was safe from any embarrassing nicknames. Lani was confident that if he and Odion hadn’t run out of things to talk about yet they never would. And if they did, well perhaps by then they would enjoy the silence of each other’s company. It was a learning experience but it was also a relationship and Lani was excited to be a part of it.

“Te amo?” Lani asked then realized what it was he had said and quickly covered it with, “You can speak Italian too?” Well it was clear who would do the talking when they went to Europe. Sharing in laughter with Odion Lani found that he wasn’t as defensive as he used to be. He had been able to tell jokes at his own expense before but never had had outright proven how bad he was at something. Even when dancing he did his best to avoid it all together to avoid embarrassment. He realized that the inhibition though not gone was lessened. He wanted Odion to know these things about him. That fact scared him a little bit. But he supposed that it wasn’t supposed to be easy to learn to give things in one’s heart away with the trust that the other person wouldn’t use it against them.

Lani still deemed the magnet trick amazing because he knew that somewhere in the scheme of making that trick science had been involved, which in turn meant something in the world still made sense. But perhaps that made it less impressive than the ones he couldn’t figure out. A sleight of hand or something, Lani knew Odion didn’t use his power to accomplish the tricks but he was still baffled about how Odion could move the card around so secretly. Hell, Lani was a telekinetic and he wasn’t even that good at stuff like that. Lani would never admit it to a soul but part of him wanted to believe there was a little magic in the world. Magic that wasn’t real in the way that he could move things with his mind and in the way that the redhead could manipulate time. Lani tried to avoid the next thought but it rose in his mind like a gentle swell of a wave. Being with Odion was magical. Even now when they were secretive, unable to show their affections it felt magical. The times when their eyes met seemed like a blessing.

A grin spread across Lani’s lips and he was quick to cover the look in his eyes before anyone saw. Lani wasn’t able to hide the smirk that crossed his face when Odion foiled his father’s plans and his father grunted as if in understanding but in Lani’s ears it sounded pleasantly like disappointment. Lani wrinkled his nose in displeasure at being called out. His father however jumped on the opportunity with a laugh, “Oh, Odion, surely you must know Lani by now,” He said turning his eyes from Odion to Lani, “He always finds something to complain about.” Lani frowned but refused to let his father know he got under his skin. His lips twisted into a snarl of a smile. “Like father, like son.” Odion jumped in quickly after offering a new trick. Lani never stopped being impressed even when they were repeats of ones he had seen before. Lani decided to take a risk. His power caught a light hold of the card his sister had drawn and as Odion shuffled it Lani was sure he had it in his mental grasp and he was sure Odion was picking out the wrong one but nonetheless the card showed was right. Lani couldn’t stop his jaw from dropping. He wasn’t sure if Odion could tell Lani’s mind was watching or not.

Lani chuckled a little at her mother and moved to help but Caroline jumped in before he had a chance. So in fear of leaving Odion undefended with his father Lani just slipped into the chair his mother had been occupying. Lani exchanged a glance with Odion as his father looked through his cards. “He didn’t cheat,” Lani informed his father. “How are you so sure?” His father asked as if for the sake of interest and gave Odion a pleasant smile. “We train together and I um…” He gave Odion a sheepish grin, “Well I’d know if he stopped time on something…” Lani’s father looked up, then at Odion then back at Lani. “Training?" his father's brows rose before he added, "Have you made any improvement?” Lani snorted, “I’m not going to throw the table at you again, if that’s what you’re asking.” Lani’s father laughed and handed the cards back to Odion. “Do me a favor and don’t let this kid in on any secrets.” Lani sighed, his father knew better than anyone how much curiosity killed him, especially when he knew the answer sat in the mind of someone sitting right by him.

His mother called them for dinner and Lani looked up at his mother as he counted only four chairs. “Don’t worry I’ll just hover,” Lani commented dryly moving toward the garage to grab another chair. “Really?” His mother asked gullibly after him. “No, not really!” Lani laughed and opened the door calling the chair to his hand. He placed the chair by the table and immediately turned to his sister. Hitting his fist three times in his hand had threw out Scissors while she threw Paper. She sighed and grabbed the chair. Lani smiled slyly at Odion and bumped his hip into Odion’s when no one was looking. Odion was doing better than fine, he was flying on butterfly wings. Around the table a large piece of lasagna was placed on the plate in front of Odion. Lani hid a smile as he took a seat next to Odion between him and his mother.

“Having fun?” Lani muttered to Odion. He felt the need to apologize for his father but held his tongue for now. It wasn’t hard to tell that his mother was excited for the new person at her table. She flew in asking question after question about France and Paris. Her eyes were glazed a little with a dreamy expression as if she were trying to picture what it was like.

[Odion Martins]

Lani wasn’t the only one who had said opinion over drunk Odion. It was most unfortunate that Odi was the type of person to drink alone, but he really couldn’t say no to a few drinks, even if people were around. Still, he had a nice stockpile of refreshments in his room. If he could get away with having three cats, he could get away with anything.

Odi nodded, “Spanish, Italian and French have the same root language. They’re all Romantic,” he smirked a little at the situation and what it was he had just said to Lani in three different languages. “And Portuguese is similar to Spanish so...” Lani really didn’t want to hear about this did he? The blond liked philosophy, history, not languages, and that was fine by Odion, he couldn’t have dibs on everything.

Perhaps if Odion could see into Lani’s mind, he would find that the blond was just as romantic as he was. Maybe they weren’t at the point of being comfortable with outright affections, but it was present. It was in the small looks, but it was also in making the effort for a connection. Hadn’t they hugged only moments ago? Hadn’t Odi found his footing again from that? And what about when Lani was joking in the kitchen, poking fun at Odi’s drinking habits before realizing something was seriously wrong. It was in the both of them, and Lani hadn’t bothered to strip himself of Odi’s hat before coming home. Maybe Odion was a part of Lani’s home now, and they didn’t have to be physical for that to be apparent.

But Odion knew Lani, perhaps better than his father did. Odion would’ve stood up for Lani but it was obvious he could take care of himself. Odion stepped back into the shadow instead, showing off his tricks and watching everything with interest. Glad to be the center of attention, Odion kept his eyes open for the little interactions between Lani and his father. They relished seeing each other being put down, or insulted in some way. Of course, that had never been Odion’s intention, but his good intentions turned awry. Between the flicks of his cards and each new trick, he was learning more and more about the Hunter family, putting things into perspective that no one had ever seen before. Sometimes it was good to have a third party, like when Lani was dating Adrianna and Odion thought it was preposterous.

Odion sat watching the two men discuss whether his tricks were legitimate or not. He pocketed the cards while Lani stood up for him and Kevin took interest in his son. They were both right in certain ways, but they were too thick headed to realize it. Odi felt as though he were watching a movie again, tempted to offer that the tricks were just tricks, but that would make him a liar. Lani knew how much time and effort Odi spent on those tricks, he knew how meaningful they were. So Odion just sat and waited. It wouldn’t be much longer before dinner was served, and then hopefully he would get Lani to himself.

Odion had to hold back a laugh at their antics, another when Lani bumped into him. The redhead had made his way into the kitchen as the rest of them had, trying to blend in even though he knew no one was buying it. It was funny, he was still trying to play wallflower when they all knew he was a tiger lily. Looking at the food with determination, Odi had to admit that it smelled really good. He looked around the table, smiling at anyone who caught his eye, his gaze finally landing on Lani. “Better than burgers,” Odi said softly, his head down as he smirked at Lani. Odi didn’t think he could get used to this, but he was having a generally good time.

Maybe Odion would just have to bring Lani’s mum on a time travelling trip. It was a free way to show her Paris without also showing her he was a criminal. He decided it was best not to bring up Italy at the rate she was going, but he didn’t have to do a lot of talking for her to ask other little questions. After a little while, Odion was being served another piece, and he sighed deeply, shooting Lani a look. She wasn’t trying to kill him was she? Unable to really sink into the chair, Odion scrambled for some connection, something to talk about that would help him out. Hadn’t they said something about a grandma visiting? Should he bring that up? Odion stared at his food and decided just to eat. It was easier than talking.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani’s eyes widened a little bit. He had no idea that Odion was so multilingual. He could have guessed but he would have assumed that he only knew one or two. But that was a full four languages. Add English to that and Odion had give languages in his arsenal of word play. Something snapped in Lani’s mind at the word and a memory rushed in him. They were drunk, it was a wonder he remembered it at all, but Odion had said something that wasn’t English, Latin? Lani ignored the smirk and looked at Odion his eyes narrowed as he struggled to grasp the words Odion had said so long ago. They evaded him with quite a good amount of skill. His drunken self probably had never deemed it important enough to remember in detail. “Five languages,” Lani uttered in amazement, “Or is it six? You said something in Latin once, didn’t you?” If only he could remember what it was!

Odion most certainly knew Lani better than his father did, if Odion voiced the thought Lani would agree without hesitation. “Though, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. It’s not like you’re not familiar to tricks,” his father continued coldly and Lani didn’t honor that with an answer. His father did try to understand any of what his son had gone through. He didn’t want to understand. And perhaps that was what angered Lani most of all. Whenever Lani tried he was shot down and so in turn he shot down any would be advice from the older Hunter. All his father saw of him was a lowlife and a thief. And all Lani saw when he looked at his father was a deadbeat and someone who couldn’t provide for his family. The older man had never complained about the checks that Lani sent. Nor about the way what he did paid for Caroline’s life. No. None of that mattered. What mattered was that Lani wasn’t like his father. He wasn’t ‘upholding’ the Hunter name. Lani found his anger growing the more these thoughts rushed through him and he could feel his power gathering as the thoughts stoked the fire that burned under his power.

If Lani hadn’t been a telekinetic he wasn’t sure he even would have felt it but the room felt suddenly heavy as if filled by a strong and angry creature that lived in the air molecules themselves. It loomed and when Lani felt it focusing he closed his eyes and shut it down. He opened his eyes and looked at Odion and he wasn’t sure if Odion could have stopped him if his power decided to strike down his father. Since for once Lani had the power to do so. But Lani didn’t want to. And he was stronger than his power. He pulled it back as if inhaling it and the presence was gone. Lani felt a ferocious pain in his skull and that did nothing to dull his temper. The fact remained that he loved his father and didn’t want to hurt him. But it stung that his father didn’t seem to feel the same way. So his father attacked and Lani retaliated and Lani attacked and his father retaliated.

The tension was broken by the dinner announcement and thank goodness for that. Lani grinned at Odion and made a stop by the cabinets taking a few pills from a vial inside. He ignored his mother’s look and took his seat. Odion seemed to be having a good time and for that Lani was grateful. But he was a terrible wallflower, if that was what he was trying to be. Lani was unlucky enough to be sipping at water when Odion commented and snorted half of it back into his cup before inhaling the rest. Lani’s face turned bright red as he coughed trying to get his breathing back to normal. In his eyes this was infinitely more embarrassing than the time Odion had choked at their dinner. He rose from the table making a quick escape to get more water as if that would help still his cough when the liquid had caused it. Lani glared at it. He couldn’t even trust it when it was in a cup for it was still trying to kill him.

“Are you alright, honey?” his mother asked half rising while his father just did a poor job of hiding a laugh. “Fine, fine,” Lani said taking a breath and returning making sure to give Odion a halfhearted glare as he did so. Lani enjoyed watching the exchange between his mother and Odion. He had always thought she would be a good interrogator. Lani’s incident with the water had stalled him eating long enough to still be halfway through his piece, so when Odion found himself confronted with another Lani hid his snicker behind a hand and turned his eyes to the redhead the orbs glittering with humor. Lani decided to take over the direction of the conversation. “Speaking of, mom, Odion and I were planning a trip to Europe this summer. You know, the whole last harrah kinda thing.” He saw his father stiffen and his mother pause started by the sudden announcement. Finally his mother sighed and shifted a little. “Only if you promise to bring me chocolate.” Lani chuckled, “Sure.” He was surprised that went over so well. He glanced at his father, the old man had yet to put his two cents in so who knew.

[Odion Martins]

Odi nodded his head, “I did.” He smirked a bit, as they both knew that if Lani wanted to know if Odi could speak Latin too, he would have to ask directly. Of course, he couldn’t, but he was working on it. The thing he had said to Lani before was simply a quote that had stuck with him. “We are dust and shadows.” It was their team name or something, he could always go back and double check. Odion watched Lani with amusement – he seemed so impressed. Odi had no formal schooling until Kocher, believe it or not. His fascination in the bound up pages stemmed from his own interest, it was just another reason why the redhead didn’t believe in school. There really was no point, but he couldn’t hide being a meta, so going through the motions was the best way to go about things before he disappeared completely. Well, at least he was going to disappear after he graduated, now he wasn’t so sure. Not if he couldn’t take Lani with him, and Lani didn’t seem interested in leaving.

Odi mirrored the look Lani’s mother was giving him. The pills, Lani had a headache. Odion pretended not to notice, though really, it bothered him. Something had set Lani off, and Odi bet himself that he could guess what, or rather who, in one shot. The redhead hid his laughter at Lani’s reaction, looking up at everyone around the table. Unlike Lani’s father though, Odi tried not to laugh because he knew Lani was embarrassed already, but they were friends, it was amusing.

When their trip came up, Odion suppressed the surprised look he would have otherwise given Lani. That’s how he told his family things? Just like that? Gauging the reaction at the table, all eyes were on Lani and Odi was the first to look away. Kevin looked the most suspicious. “I know all of the good spots,” Odion added, as though this would reassure them at all, “especially where the best chocolate is.” This gained a smile from Lani’s mum. “We’ll bring some for you too,” Odion added at Caroline’s pout, and she quickly went back to eating, a happy smile on her face.

After their talk about the trip to Europe, Odion wasn’t sure if he was happy to get to dessert or not. He looked up at Mrs. Hunter, practically begging for her to just kill him already instead of make him eat more. “I think I’m going to have to diet after this,” he said in a light manner, a slight grin on his face. He was joking, but as some Greek concoction was placed before him, he knew there was no way of getting out of this one, and speeding through time still meant he was going to eat it.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani would never understand Odion’s insistence on not answering implied questions. It was like Odion preferred only to answer things head on whereas Lani preferred to ask things that went around the center. Lani nodded a little when he heard the phrase. He had liked it back then and he still liked it now. “I guess you can’t really speak Latin,” Lani commented. It was a dead language and no one really knew how to pronounce it, well perhaps those in the clergy. Lani never really saw a point to education. If someone wanted to learn they could, and some people could learn through a teacher or through a book. If Lani didn’t need to finish he wouldn’t. And after talking to his advisor he learned he needed a little more school. He would only do so because it was a means to an end.

Lani wondered what it life would be like without his power. He realized he couldn’t remember a time before he had these constant headaches. He comforted himself in the fact that no one really knew what the pain felt like. He’d like to see them deal with it. It wasn’t just the pain, it was the consistency of it. Lani glanced at Odion half wondering if the redhead had done it on purpose. Lani shook it off, it probably was just bad timing. Though Lani was wondering if this was Odion’s way of getting back at him for the headlock on the bus. He shook it off and strolled back into the conversation as if it had never happened. It only took one glance to realize that his father was loving this. What his father did not love, however was the way Lani just informed him of the trip. He knew it was rude and it was wrong to bring it up offhand like that. But he wasn’t asking permission. He was informing.

It wasn’t hard to avoid the looks everyone was giving him but Lani just finished his mean a pleasant smile on his face. The silence stretched on and Lani knew a conversation was going to come later. He closed his eyes and it suddenly struck him how rude he was being. He was digging under his father’s skin and his father under his. Both knowing that eventually the other would lose their cool and explode. Odion didn’t need to see them like this. What kind of image of family was this setting? That he and his father couldn’t spend more than ten seconds in the same room without screaming at each other? Lani figured what the hell, he was going to get the third degree either way. Why not stoke the fire a little bit? He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding when Odion spoke. Lani smiled pleasantly at his family until his eyes met his father. "We're gonna talk about this," his father said his eyes sharp as knife blades. "Yes, sir," Lani answered yielding quickly. Sometimes he could fight back but other times his father was just plain terrifying.

Lani did his best to hide his snickering. His mother looked extremely flattered and waved off Odion’s comment. “We could always hit the gym when we get back,” Lani offered. Lani did his best to hide the smirk on his face. Odion was going to be overloaded with home cooked meals for the next few days. Lani loved his mother’s cooking, he could only hope that at some point he would be able to cook as well as she did. But at the moment it wasn’t looking too good. Desert passed smoothly and Lani offered to help clear the table but his mother shooed him away. It was too bad that Lani ushered her out of the way anyways. It was funny how when it was just the family she complained that they never did the dishes but then when company was over she took it all on herself. As Lani worked his mind wandered. They were the worst family to show Odion, he loved them but they were so dysfunctional. His mother played damage control around him and his father. His sister was learning to do the same though she had just enough spirit to fight back as well. But Lani hated that not even for a few days, a few hours he and his father couldn’t even pretend to get along.

Dishes done Lani glanced at Odion. He wanted to be alone with him for a little while. Show him that Boston wasn’t all bad. Lani stood near Odion, just enough distance between them to remain safe. “Hey, I’m sorry about that…” He said in a low voice looking at his feet. His father really brought out the worst in him. “I’m being rude,” he acknowledged the fact with a duck of his head. He didn’t bring Odion here to watch him fight with his father. Lani knew that his father wasn’t too much of a fan of having Odion here despite what Lani had said and though it seemed like it was starting to dawn on his father that he had judged Odion wrongly. Lani wanted to think that his father wasn’t purposefully goading him into a fight, but Lani knew he was of equal blame. He wondered if they could escape or if it was too early. Part of Lani very much hoped that they could sneak out for a little while.

[Odion Martins]

“No, I thought I’d leave that to you.” Odion said, since Latin couldn’t be found anywhere and wasn’t easily accessible. Odi only knew the quote because of a snippet he had read at the beginning of a chapter of a book.

Glancing from Lani to his father, something blew up inside of Odi. He wanted to step up and say something, he wanted to tell Lani’s dad to open his eyes and see Lani for the good man that he was. Also, he would probably throw in something about the twelve foot stick up the older man’s ass. He had been bitter and hateful the entire night and honestly Odion couldn’t understand how someone as sweet as Lani’s mom dealt with the man at all. Odion just stared at the older man, who stared right back at him. The redhead couldn’t see what was so intimidating by him, and eventually, the older man relented and looked away. They were going to Europe, no matter what kind of talk he and Lani had.

At least dessert could turn things around. Odi smiled at Lani, holding up a fork, his chosen weapon. “We could,” he said, before digging in. Odion could take a hint. The redhead had never had a home cooked meal before, so he would take what he would get and relish the memory of it when it was gone. Maybe he would learn to cook himself – there was a first for everything. While Lani did that, Odion busied himself my talking to Lani’s mum, who was still going on about Paris. His eyes travelled over to Kevin – maybe he ought to take her.

“It’s alright,” Odi said, a hand on Lani’s shoulder. He smiled a bit, before glancing up at the ceiling. He really didn’t care about how rude Lani was or was not being, it wasn’t on Odion’s mind at all. He wanted to give Lani his present now. “I’m going to unpack,” Odion said, giving Lani a wink only the blond would see. The ladies smiled at him as he passed, not questioning the guest in his house. Fantastic, maybe he could get the gift out while they distracted Lani. Odion heard conversation over his shoulder and smiled to himself – families were strange units indeed.

His gift was a blast from the past, and he kept it right at the top of his backpack. It was wrapped in plain, dark blue wrapping, a sharp white bow on top of it. The gift itself was a gold and brass compass/sundial. He had it inscribed to say ‘forever finding your way home’. It was a reminder that Lani would always be discovering who he was, and that going North wasn’t the only way to go. It had taken a long time for Odion to decide what to get the blond, but it seemed perfect now that he had it in his hands. Feeling Lani get closer, Odion turned around and smiled softly. “I got you something,” his hands went behind his back, and he secretly hoped Lani wouldn’t peek with his powers, “you know, for Christmas.”

[Lani Hunter]

Lani gave Odion a lopsided smile and decided not to answer. If Lani had any success with a language it would be a dead one. Oh well, languages were going to be a problem when they traveled. But he hadn’t told his parents that it was a roughly plan-less plan. If they ended up going around Europe it would be spontaneous and decisions made on the way not before they even left. Lani matched his father’s gaze and his dropped first. He felt a little tension in the air and glanced back to see Odion having taken his place in the staring contest with his father. Lani chewed his lip worried about who would look away first. If his father looked away first it would only make the older man angry but if Odion looked away first it would mean his father had one and nothing more would satisfy the older Hunter. But he didn’t win. This made Lani smile and yet he was afraid of what the future would bring.

A smile crossed Lani’s face and he was quick to smother it. Plans for the future. It was what Lani lived for, a purpose for being that would encourage a continuation of the current situation. Digging into the dishes Lani’s ear trained to catch what his mother and Odion were talking about. He couldn’t catch most of it but from the way she was going on it was clear what the topic was. Lani made quick work of the dishes and repetitive action in a way was rather calming. It didn’t require thought and that in and of itself was a relief. He could turn his thoughts to something else. The apology easily accepted made Lani smile a little in relief. His eyes followed Odion as he went and Lani gave a little nod of understanding. At last they could be alone for a few seconds. He started to follow when the sound of a clearing throat called his attention. He sighed and turned to his father a challenge like fire in his eyes.

Well this certainly wasn’t helping his nerves. It wasn’t anything Lani hadn’t heard before. How could he put his parents in a position like this? How was he going to pay for the trip? Did he have a passport? Needless to say Lani’s answers to those did nothing to cool his father’s temper. Nor Lani’s. At least his father made an effort to keep his voice down. It was all the same. He needed to clean up his act or he was kicked out. Disowned. His father questioned again what he had done wrong. So Lani told him with ferocious accuracy how when Caroline got sick he wasn’t doing anything and his mother was stricken and Lani had to take care of the family. The argument was quickly pulling in his mother and sister who decided something of immediate importance needed to be done in the kitchen. It was when his father told him he was a disgrace that Lani finally decided he had had enough. He threw up his hands and went up the stairs refusing to answer the call to return.

Lani took a moment on the stair to look at the picture on the wall and wonder where that happy family had gone. He took a deep breath and sighed, well at least they got that out of the way, perhaps they could have an understanding for the rest of the time Odion was here. He moved quietly across the floor avoiding the creaking boards and intending to sneak up on Odion. He sighed as he was foiled by Odion turning around. He was immediately interested in what Odion hidden behind his back. Lani’s power reached out until Odion spoke. He pulled it back but not before he got the general shape of the object, he might as well be fair and not peak. “Oh… hang on.” He raised his fingers to stall Odion and ducked into his room digging out the present. He hoped Odion liked it. It was in a simple box covered with red paper. He walked out with it in his hands. “I got you something too,” He smiled shyly. He looked down at the package and smiled before offering it to Odion. “I hope you like it,” he held it out. It was a double ouroboros, the eternity dragons twined together to represent the balance of opposing forces. He had seen it and thought of Odion, it was manly and the intricate twisting of eternity seemed to suite the redhead rather well.

[Odion Martins]

Odion wasn’t sure what the future held, despite how he had the power to check. But he wasn’t worried about the what ifs, only the here and now. It was why he folded when the realization of what the moments he had been occupying meant. As for Europe, Odi expected those to be a bit more carefree. Odion just wanted to get to know Lani, and maybe they could visit a few bars. They wouldn’t have to get drunk every night, but maybe once or twice? He wasn’t sure, and he didn’t want to be sure, he was fairly confident they could do anything once they started. They’d be a couple of young men, exploring Europe and each other, and Odion thought that was as fun as it could get. Maybe he could finally prove to Lani that he knew how to have fun when he wasn’t so preoccupied with being calculated.

It would’ve been nice to tell his family that money wasn’t a problem, nor would it ever be. It was nothing but exchange, a way to get by and have possessions, and it itself was a possession. Odion had a handful of passports at his disposal and could get another if need be, though he was sure Lani didn’t need help in that department. Learning a different language before summer might prove difficult, but Odi would find Lani a small conversation book or something. French at least was fairly easy to pick up on, but trying to teach Lani was like trying to teach a rock sometimes. Odion thought of these things as he heard the argument heating down the steps, making his smile tug downwards. He closed his eyes, restraining himself from wanting to do something about it. It just wasn’t his battle, but he couldn’t stand it when someone spoke to Lani like that, his father or not. If Kevin wanted respect, he had to earn it and give it in return.

Grinning, Odion sat on the guest bed, letting his gift rest beside him, still hidden by his leg. He glanced up, and smiled to himself and the red wrapping paper – was that supposed to mean something? “I will,” he said, offering Lani his gift in return. Odi thought it was amusing that the packaging seemed around the same size, and he spent a lot of time just looking at it. He hadn’t been given many things before, and the last time he had received something this small a once special relationship concluded in disaster. Taking a deep breath, Odion carefully unwrapped the present, leaving no edge torn. Eventually he would get to the silver necklace, picking it up by the chain using one hand. His smile reached into his eyes, and he turned to look at Lani, really look at him. “Thank you,” he said simply, looking to his backpack on the floor, another gift peeking out. He reached for it and ignored his ears and neck burning red – he’d rather be doing something else right now. “This one’s for your family,” Odi said, distracting himself, “it’s just a framed card, but I liked the poem inside...” There he was, losing himself again.

[Lani Hunter]

Escaping his family was something Lani did often enough. It would be nice to have the summer to just completely escape. It would be a challenge for Lani to be more or less cut off from technology and contact with his parents and people back home during the trip. But who wanted to be on the internet when they were roaming Europe by whatever means they found. Bus, train, foot. Lani was excited to leave the world behind for a few months. He was also excited to be going with Odion, he wanted to learn about where Odion had come from. The world was a lot bigger than the North East United States. Lani had never traveled far out of the area until he went to Vermont. And even then he hadn’t traveled much farther than that. Exploring the world was something that not a lot of people had the chance to do, and he was going to take it while he could. And going with Odion made the trip all the more exciting. Lani probably never would have crossed the Atlantic if not for Odion.

Lani bit his tongue before he could ask how Odion would know that he would like it. Lani had pulled himself back from cheating but perhaps Odion had looked forward. The present itself was pretty and Lani was sad to see it torn but he was too impatient to take the time to be careful not to tear the paper as Odion was. Lani paused before he opened the box in his hands and smiled at Odion. He breathed a little sigh of relief at the smile on Odion’s face. He wanted to take a picture of that and remember it forever. “It’s an ouroboros,” Lani explained as if it needed a definition. He blinked remembering the box in his hand. He opened it and picked up the compass and looked at the engraving. Lani chuckled and beamed happily. “Odion, thank you, I love it.” He pulled a part of it for a moment worried that he had already broken it before he realized it was a sundial as well. “This is cool,” Lani said as he held it up and pointed himself due North.

A glance back at Odion and a laugh emerged from his throat. “I’m sure they’ll love it,” he replied. From where he was facing Odion was to his southwest. It was fascinating being able to know when he pointed magnetic north. “I told you magnets were impressive,” Lani said turning and watching the needle keep its point. Lani loved the compass, not only for what it did but what it represented. He wrapped the chair around his hand. Odion looked good when he was flushed with color. “You’re matching your hair,” Lani teased an impish grin making himself look very much like he was holding the secrets of the world and wasn’t going to let anyone in on the joke. Well, if that were true he wouldn’t be where he was at the moment holding a compass for someone who seemed to constantly be losing his way. Well, at least now he wouldn’t have to bother with maps. Lani slipped the compass into his pocket, he had to or he was going to spend a fair amount of time spinning in circles and seeing where he ended up. All that would really accomplish would be to get his dizzy.

Lani glanced back at the stairs then back out at the dark sky beyond the glass of the window. “I want to show you something.” He said abruptly, “Do you mind going for a walk?” Lani was curious to see where the stars he always looked at were oriented and how he had a way to figure it out. Compasses were a navigators best friend, but at night nothing beat the pathway of the stars. Now, Lani was no navigator but for the time being he was going to think like he was.

[Odion Martins]

Lani didn’t need an excuse to evade his family, but Odion was happy to be reason enough. The redhead was withholding this information: he knew that once he and Lani really did head off to Europe, Lani would miss his family something fierce. It was easy to say he wouldn’t that the break would be appreciated, but no one really knew what they had until they decided they might be better off without it. Yes things were stressful now, but eventually Lani would grow up, and if he was already playing by his own rules, eventually he would have to spread those metaphorical wings of his and prove to his dad just how magnificent he was – by Lani’s own standards of course. Lani wasn’t about to be walked upon but he wasn’t going to disrespect his entire family either. He had done the unthinkable for Caroline, and for that, Odion would always look up to him and respect him. All in all, Odi was excited for the trip, and maybe he could be happy about knowing so much about Europe if Lani was with him.

Odion hadn’t cheated, he wasn’t even expecting a gift so why would he look ahead? In reality, Odi knew he would like the gift because it was a gift. Odi grinned, “Did you steal the idea from Greek mythology?” Of course Odi wasn’t serious about that, it was just the first thing that came to his mind. Odion knew a lot about Lani, like how he was so deeply interested in history, and he himself was Greek so it made sense. But Odion knew a lot of other things about Lani, like how he hummed when he was thinking or just plain happy, and how much he adored the stars. Odion really liked the ouroboros, it was mysterious and yet made sense at the same time. Grinning like he had won a prize, Odi smirked at Lani as he inspected the new gadget. He was really glad Lani liked it, loved it even. It was a start. Maybe they both had won.

Dark blue eyes narrowed at Lani, “I could make you match my hair too.” It was a threatening invitation, and Odion glanced at the door to see if anyone was coming before glancing back to Lani, pocketing his gift. Odion knew Lani loved to tease him, but Odi was already bothered, he didn’t need temptation on top of that. His look softening, Odion made to stand, “Are we going to see the stars?” He didn’t really mind going, though he didn’t see the point of it all. They were gas balls a million miles away, and though he did feel small looking at them from time to time, Odion just couldn’t care about them when he had his own life to deal with. But if Lani wanted to go, Odion wouldn’t just follow, he would go with him. He didn’t think he was wrong about his assumption though, especially with the excited look on Lani’s face at his new compass.

Walking over to Lani’s window, Odi pushed it open, letting in a cold breeze. Stopping time, Odion went downstairs to grab their jackets and shoes and came back in flash, standing in front of a frozen Lani. Odi dropped their shoes on the floor, shuffling into his neatly, before looking over at Lani. Considering the blond for a moment, Odion brought him into the frozen world, wondering if he would notice the way time stood still. Extending the jacket out to Lani in such a way that the blond would have to stand to get it but not far enough away to want to use his powers; determination flooded Odi’s features. He stepped forward as Lani reached for his jacket, and moved even closer to kiss him. A real kiss this time that said all the thanks he didn’t have words for. Leaving Lani to his own devices, Odi made for the window with a goofy smile on his face, his face truly beet red now. He smirked over at Lani before making his way out of the window – he was still better at teasing.

[Lani Hunter]

It was a good thing that Odion was withholding. If Odion were to come out and say that Lani would miss his family Lani probably would have laughed in his face. Lani could live with the eternal arguments so long as he got to see his mother and sister. The past few times his father had threatened to kick him out Lani no longer had nowhere to go and had encouraged his father to do just that. That was usually the time when his mother stepped in and showed that she too could raise her voice, surprisingly higher and more terrifying than either of the males. His mother was terrifying when she was angry. Perhaps the most terrifying of all. Hopefully Odion would live his entire life without ever having to see an angry Justine Hunter. Not even a fire breathing dragon would have the courage to stand up to her. But perhaps that was just because he had always seen her as a sweet woman and it was painful seeing that they could press her to anger.

Lani laughed a little bit and shook his head. “I stole it from somewhere,” he gave Odion a wink. It had been an unplanned acquisition. Something that had caught his attention. Lani wasn’t going to tell Odion exactly how he had gotten it, that would defeat the purpose of it but Odion should know that he did a lot of work to get it. It had been risky returning to the scene of a previous heist. Something that went against the rules of the game. “I think…” he hesitated, “It suits you.” He smiled and lifted his hand like he wanted to touch Odion’s face but recalled where they were and pulled it back. Lani never understood why not getting the latest technological toy was a disappointment. Lani really was happy with it, it was something that reminded him of Odion and all of the talks they had had about finding their way in a world where there are a trillion paths to follow. Lani would have rather had this compass over anything that would have been cold and electronic. This compass, it was memories and a promise of an uncertain future.

Lani could have sworn like a sailor knowing that just those words made it so. He wasn’t as vibrant as Odion, at least he didn’t think so but Lani didn’t doubt that one bit. If anyone was keeping score they would know that Odion was winning by a pretty high margin. “Not exactly,” Lani said cryptically but the message was clear: Odion would see when they got there. Lani wasn’t sure when the first time he had found the harbors and gazed out over the sea. It was so beautifully calm under the sea. Unlike most hydrophobic people Lani found calm looking at water, so long as it was far away. It was like the allure of looking at a dangerous animal. It was beautiful and powerful but it could easily kill someone. But it wasn’t so much gazing at the stars that Lani wanted so much as to be alone with Odion. The stars were just a bonus. And with his new toy… compass he was going to have a lot of fun with it.

The initial chill shocked Lani into awareness. One minute Odion was there and the next he was holding out his jacket and his shoes were dumped at his feet. He blinked a little thrown off by the realization that he had been stopped in time but he reached for the jacket anyways. Suddenly Odion was very close. Not at all like this kiss they had in the bathroom Lani’s eyes slid shut without him meaning to as fire seemed to race through his limbs. Lani blinked in shock as Odion pulled away. Lani wasn’t really sure how long he stood there just staring into space before his eyes found Odion’s again and that terribly attractive smirk he had. Lani’s face burned and he muttered something about cheating. Having his brain shut down was probably not conductive to good power control. He balanced precariously as he pulled on his shoes one by one and pulled on his jacket before following Odion out the window. He balanced carefully as he slid the window shut. If his parents were upset to find them gone they at least couldn’t complain that he let all the hot air escape.

He pulled himself onto the roof before slipping across to the next house. They were so close together it was hardly a separation at all. He didn’t glance back to see if Odion was following his power could feel him, as if his power had locked onto Odion like a target and hung on. Mirroring Lani’s inner emotions and desires it seemed like his power couldn’t pull itself away from Odion. Without really thinking or looking where he was going his muscle memory led them down to an overhanging ledge then it was a quick drop into the grass in the shadows between the houses. Lani’s senses heightened and he imagined he could smell the broken grass blades. He glanced back as he heard Odion drop down next to him and then he suddenly remembered that he wasn’t going to see his boss, besides sneaking out they didn’t need to do any more skulking than that. He straightened and started to walk down the street away from the house, pausing only long enough for Odion to catch up.