Self Recrimination (Abe, Sebastian, AJ)

[Event !]

Sebastian Bolstad and AJ Lane are assigned to wash Abe Milton's car

[Sebastian Bolstad]

Tying his long blonde hair back in a loose ponytail, Sebastian sat on the edge of the wall in the sunshine. His pale skin had been soaked in sunscreen to try to prevent it from burning but he could already feel the warmth penetrating down to his skin. He knew that in a few hours he would likely be burned to a cinder, but he also knew there was little he could do about it. He wanted to help out and try to make a good impression at the school, desperately hoping that they would realise their mistake and just let him go home, and helping to wash cars seemed like a good way to start. If he did well and behaved, maybe they would let him miss the training sessions that he tried so desperately to convince them he didn't want or need.

On his torso Seb wore a loose but neat and tidy pale grey t-shirt, with matching shorts and white plimsolls. Compared to many of the other children milling around he felt rather formally dressed but that was nothing to frown upon. Standing slowly, he made his way across the parking lot and grabbed a bucket of water and some sponges, getting back to his station just as his partner and the car they were due to clean arrived. Only a few hours and then it would be over...

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

The more AJ walked through the parking lot, seeing all of the students with sponges and buckets and dirty cars waiting to be washed, the more she regretted signing up for this car wash. It was sort of a spur of the moment decision. She knew that she had to try and be involved and overcome the burden of her power (blahblahblah), but it was so hard when there were so many people around that she could accidentally manipulate. So many people with so many emotions....

Back at home for those few weeks before she was recruited, she'd manipulated people on accident. She was particularly good at seducing people on accident. Still, she managed to walk over to her station where the car was already parked that she was supposed to be washing with another student when all she wanted to do was run away.

Girls all around were wearing swim suits and AJ felt a bit ridiculous in her deep purple vneck and white board shorts, like she wasn't well prepared. At least she'd remembered to wear a pair of worn flip-flops and not her sneakers.

She stopped to look at the car and then over at her partner who was pale and had longer hair than she did. She'd tied her hair into a side ponytail and it still only reached a little past her shoulders. He held a bucket of soapy water and some sponges. "Looks like you're prepared," she commented softly.

[Abe Milton]

Abe was incredibly relieved that he had gotten two of the more decently clothed teens. Abe was aware his opinions on people being modest were no longer culturally acceptable. But he’d kept his body to his wrists and ankles covered since he was a boy, and saw little reason to stop now. Swimming was one thing—going into a pool or the ocean fully clothed was absurd, and a wetsuit couldn’t really be considered modest even if it did cover everything. But was there really a reason that some of these girls needed to be in bathing suits? Bikinis? There was water, yes, but hardly that much. Besides, it just meant more skin to burn, didn’t it?

Ah well. Teach not preach.

Abe climbed out of his Cadillac—he knew it was an old man’s car, but this was a newer model, drove well and had a good engine (because old habits died hard and Abe still felt the need for a car that could hold its own in a chase)—and studied the two children in front of him as he reached for his cane and leaned against it.

“Mind washing mine?” he inquired with a faint smile. Was that a boy or a girl? It didn’t matter, he told himself. “I’m Abe. What are your names?”

[Sebastian Bolstad]

Sebastian forced a small smile to the girl as she spoke to him, placing the bucket down near their station. His voice was calm and polite, though it did little to disguise the nervousness that he felt. “Yes, I thought it would be in our best interests to ensure we were set up before a line formed for the equipment.” He was quite literally surrounded by all manner of freaks, and tensions already seemed to be running high in some.

Blue eyes cast around the parking lot and settled on the mountain of a horse that seemed to be causing quite a large amount of commotion. He could not understand why anyone would turn down the offer to be near the giant beast; so much power and strength that was so controlled and gentle. He was admittedly sad that he had missed that draw. He'd rather be around an animal than a motorised vehicle any day. At least with the horse he would have had some sort of clue about how to clean it, unlike the car that pulled into their station.

Seb re-tied his ponytail to make sure it was secure and then gave a small nod to the man as he spoke. “Of course sir. I will do my best with it, though I ask your forgiveness if it takes a while. I am not well versed with washing vehicles.” He gave a small, awkward gesture towards the girl. “Though, of course, I cannot speak for my... friend?” He picked up one of the sponges, soaking it in the soapy water. “My name is Sebastian, sir. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

AJ gave the guy a small nod. She couldn't really think of anything to say and didn't even know why she'd bothered to sign up when she was just going to be incredibly awkward and worried about manipulating him or the driver of the car. Who knew what their personalities were like and what would happen.

She sighed and moved a curly brown strand of hair from her face as Abe approached. He looked familiar. Didn't he own that restaurant? AJ had gone there on a few times, of course, eating alone. The food was too good and she didn't have others to go with, not like she'd ask anyone to go with her either. She suddenly flushed a little, thinking of if Abe had noticed it was the same person, the girl who went out to eat alone. How sad.

A smile barely reached the edge of her lips at Sebastian's '...my friend?' "That's what we're here for...raising money and all," AJ said, wringing her hands together nervously. "I'm AJ." She tried to follow suit and bent down to retrieve her own sponge.

[Abe Milton]

Abe turned as he noticed the boy—girl’s?—eyes moving, and his brows climbed as he saw the horse. “Now who brought that thing?” he mused to himself, then shrugged his shoulders and turned back to them. They both seemed a little nervous and shy, and although he wasn’t really used to putting people at their ease, his lips curved up in an attempt at a reassuring smile. The boy spoke so formally, and the girl seemed to be very fidgety. It figured he’d gotten the two shy ones.

But he did like the boy’s speech patterns, he’d admit.

“Pleasure to meet you too, young sir.” His lips curved up faintly and then he turned his attention over to AJ. “Nice to meet you too, young lady. I appreciate your help, for whatever reason you’re giving it.” He leaned against the cane. “You both are pretty young. New to Hammel?” He really had never been very good at this whole polite conversation thing.

[Sebastian Bolstad]

The man whose car they were to wash was completely unfamiliar to the blonde, which was unsurprising. Sebastian had only been at the school for a few weeks and though he had visited the town a few times, he'd never properly explored most of it and certainly hadn't gone into any of the restaurants. He often had a difficult enough time trying to persuade himself to go into the school cafeteria. Besides the fact that his rather specific diet forbade such foods, without a part time job he had literally no source of income and so could not afford such luxuries even if he was in poor mind enough to deviate towards them.

Sebastian held the bucket out towards the girl who introduced herself as AJ, trying to make it a little easier for her, and then started carefully sponging the side of the rather intimidating vehicle. He gave a small smile as the man spoke about the monstrous equine.

Abe's own manners caused Seb to feel a little more at ease, and he stood on tiptoes so he could try to get the warm water over the car's roof. “Yes sir. I have been here a little over three weeks now. It is all still very new and unfamiliar to me.” And frightening, but Seb wasn't silly enough to openly admit that to a stranger.

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

"I've been here for a half a semester," AJ informed the man. "I mean, I haven't really been here that long I guess." But she didn't look that young, did she? Her mother always told her she had a baby face. Thinking of her parents made her feel a bit homesick, so she tried to take her mind off of it.

She took a sopping sponge. "Should I...uh, start on the other side of the car?" she asked Sebastian, seeing as he'd started. The boy's speech kind of amused her in an odd way, it was so formal, like reading an old fashioned novel.

[Abe Milton]

Abe nodded. “I understand. I hadn’t even heard of Hammel when my power manifested. It was as much of a surprise to me as it was to everyone else.” Although his parents had taken it fairly well. It wasn’t like their son had done anything particularly harmful, other than scaring some customers away. They’d been inclined to accept him no matter what he was. “So you’re both new to Hammel and to Pilot Ridge. Welcome. If you ever want some cheap food, please feel free to stop by. I own a restaurant in town called Honest Abe’s. I try to help students when I can.”

He leaned back against the wall as they debated where to wash the car, and did his best not to recommend where to start. It wasn’t his job—they were here to learn. “Can I help?” he asked all the same. The two of them were awfully young.

[Sebastian Bolstad]

As the man admitted that he had a power Sebastian's face paled for a moment, more so than usual. He was still deeply frightened by these curses, and knowing that someone had a power but not knowing what it was just compounded that fear. Whilst he doubted that anything untoward could happen in a crowded parking lot, it was still an unsettling feeling.

Trying to keep the unease out of his voice, Sebastian responded to the man's query. “Thank you for the kind offer, sir. I am afraid, however, that once I have purchased my school equipment there is very little money left from what they give to me.” Many of the students had parents or carers who gave them funds, but Sebastian was not so lucky. His parents had signed over their son when he had become a freak and he had to make do with what little money the school provided to him. Not that he would want to spend it in a restaurant anyway.

Giving a nod to AJ, Sebastian was a little surprised to discover that he seemed to have become the one in control of their tiny little group. It was a position he was very much not used to being in, but he wanted to try to do his best with what had been handed to him. “I think that would make sense, yes. Thank you, AJ.” When Abe offered to help Sebastian blinked at him for a moment, trying to decide what to say. “I... I don't think you're supposed to help us, sir. That is what you are paying us to do for you.”