12:15 pm {Oriel}

[Erik Stewart]

“I can’t give you anythin’.”

It was little more than a mumble, and it was directed to the top of his book bag, at that. He was hunched over it, knees touching and elbows in. Clearly, it was not for anyone to hear. Some people must’ve known he was talking anyway, just by the movement of his lips; he caught them looking his way and he could see them scramble to pretend they were staring at something else. His arms closed protectively around the book bag. If it were possible, he curled over it tighter.

He couldn’t let them see the winding, curling scales deep within the folds of nylon. From the backpack’s depths winked up a pair of beady eyes, unblinking. A tongue whispered up at him. The snake was hungry, hungry – and he often was. Right now he was willing to bet his old friend needed a juicy mouse steak just as much as he craved a cigarette…’course, there was none of that to be found in a cafeteria.

For three years Erik had been at Hammel. He had not adjusted to it well. He was friendless, for the most part – a victim of his own design, more than anyone else’s (he could clear a room with ease) – and he’d made plenty of enemies among the management. Most of it was just for smoking on school grounds, and some of it was for instances like today, when he brought DJ along for the ride, but still others were for his sporadic fits of temper. Those were the real bad days.

But those few bad days were what stuck with him the most; he’d garnered something of a reputation for his vile attitude. That was why he had at least a five foot berth at the lunch table – no one to the right or the left, or god forbid across; no one would dare say more than a dozen words to him unless they wanted to get tangled in verbal whip-lash. There was his presence, too. Surely there were a few people here who could discern an individual’s aura, and Erik thought, if they saw him, they’d be able to feel the air around him, as heavy and cold as the black swamp water he’d crawled out of.

“You’re gonna have t’wait, shithead,” he muttered to DJ, who was still hankering away for a piece of meat.

[Deleted]

Oriel was on edge lately and that had left him with fewer friends than he'd come to Hammel with. That is basically none. The rift between he and Kodah had gotten so wide, he couldn't see how it could possibly be mended. Madison wasn't so much a friend as just his fuck toy, but even he was seeming to be more of an asshole than usual lately. Penelope was cool to hang with, but damn if that woman knew how to care about anyone, which made her fun but also incredibly insensitive. And Lux....

He'd already decided to not see Lux anymore, so he was avoiding her....

Anyway, it didn't matter anymore. He could do just fine without them. Those were his thoughts as he glared at the person who presented him with his meal in the cafeteria. Oriel took it with disdain. He rarely ate in the cafeteria. The food was fine, but he hated the crowds. Everyone seemed to go there and they were all annoying. But the vending machine was out of his lovely danishes and after the last time, he didn't feel up to making something himself. He scanned the room for a decent place to sit, but the only place was surrounding this skinny dipshit he'd seen around before who was making a dent in the crowd like that old bearded guy who parted the sea. Only sitting.

No choice. And it was better than nothing. And he looked like he might be fun to annoy.

A normal person would sit slightly off or beside him at least two people over, but no, Oriel strategically sat directly in front of the kid to heighten the degree of annoy. He thought he heard something from the kid, then looked up to see his lips moving. Weirdo. "You got something in that bag or didja just forget to take your psycho meds, schizo?" Oriel returned his gaze to his school-issued slop(which was actually pretty decent slop), devising a strategy for devouring it as quickly as possible to get away from the masses of asses.

[Erik Stewart]

Erik’s shoulders tightened. His head shot up. He snapped the bag’s lips shut, the glint of snake eyes vanishing from sight. It didn’t take him long to discover who’d been talking at him.
The unhealthy pause that followed came from distinct surprise. Erik liked his personal space; hated to have it encroached on, and most everyone knew it. Looked like someone didn’t get the memo. He felt himself curl up tighter than a rattlesnake lookin’ to bite – and here Oriel was poking him with a stick.

He didn’t answer Oriel, not directly. “Y’think that’s fuckin’ funny.” Erik’s voice was thick with an accent lifted straight out of the Louisiana bayou. It was strong, though; not something you’d expect from a skinny kid like himself. “Don’t make too many jokes, you’ll hurt yourself.”

He was eager to get Oriel out of his space, not only because he was unwelcome, but because of DJ slithering about in his backpack. Dead John was a rat snake: a non-venomous, docile thing, who might give someone a nasty pinch at worst, but the powers that be still didn’t like to see him hanging around the classrooms. Nothing in the world could’ve made Erik get rid of him, though. They were friends now, and he brought him along for moral support…even though he was a little under two feet, and had trouble fitting into that book bag of his.

But he wasn’t moving. There was a plate of food in front of Oriel, as if he thought he could sit down and eat there. Erik paused to size the other boy up. No trace of hesitation – just the beginnings of a grin on his face and his eyes, and the way he leaned over the table a bit.

“Look,” he said, looking to the left, “y’didn’t come here for the view and you definitely ain’t here for the conversation, so why don’t y’fuck off?” He made Erik wonder what the hell Oriel thought he was gonna get out of this. “These seats are taken.”

[Deleted]

"I like living on the edge." A smile crept across his face as the other kid met Oriel's challenge. This could be fun, he thought. Lets see how well you can keep up with me.

It was his favorite game, one which he played often. He liked the bantering game. It was fun, it was easy, and it didn't have to matter. There wasn't so much raw emotion put into it like in real fights where people couldn't think of anything better to say than "fuck you" and storm off in a huff(which Oriel had indeed been guilty of doing lately). Penelope was a pro, as was Madison. Oriel wondered if this guy was up to the challenge. Worst case, the guy left and Oriel would have the space to himself. As it was, Oriel was could tell he was making this guy uncomfortable, it was pretty obvious. But no, Oriel wasn't going anywhere. This was the student cafeteria and he was free to sit wherever there was an empty seat.

"I don't see any fucking names on them," he snarked at the other boy, holding his arms out to indicate the whole of the free space surrounding them. "Means they're free game, Mr. Jack Sprat."

[Erik Stewart]

Erik was having a hard time figuring out what the other boy thought he was doing, sitting across from him, lettin’ his gums flap like that... Erik knew nothing of Oriel’s love of banter, and he might not have known much about talking in general, but he could differentiate between friendly conversation and the not-so-much. He wasn’t stupid.

Erik didn’t know what who Jack Sprat was, but he wrinkled his nose all the same. “Do me a favor and jus’ take my word for it,” he said, putting his elbows on the surface of the table.

Another short lapse. Erik’s eyes were a bright, clear blue, the sort that almost blends in with the whites, so that the dark pupils punched in the middle stared out with a bestial intensity. He wasn’t shy about eye contact, at least – but, despite Erik’s open hostility, Oriel might also sense the confusion underneath. Oriel might have even seen the question written all over his face before it even came out his mouth.

He put one palm on the side of his face, as if he were shielding himself from anyone else’s intruding gaze. “What d’you want?” he asked, his voice this time a hushed hiss.

[Deleted]

Oriel scowled. Damn, he thought Jack was going to to be a lot more fun than this. Maybe he misread him? After all, how many kinds of people could make a crater in a crowd just by sitting down? He was genuinely disappointed and that made his irritated. "I don't do favors. It's against my religion." Not that he had religion, coming from the streets like he did.

If this guy wasn't any good, then at least Oriel found a place to sit in the chasm he created. And sitting with this guy was still better than bumping elbows with anyone else he didn't know.

In the meantime, Oriel was at least going to enjoy his slop(man, that was some good slop, maybe he should hit up the cook for some pointers?). Oriel looked up at him as he stuffed a fork-full of mystery meat into his mouth. He stared at the guy the whole while he chewed until he finally swallowed and smiled. "Man, you are droll. And here I thought you'd be more interesting, what with that Slytherin scowl you got going on there."

[Erik Stewart]

Oriel wasn’t giving him a straight answer, but he was giving him a load of crap, as far as Erik was concerned. Erik was raised in the boonies. He hadn’t watched what other kids his age had watched; the TV had been an old static-y mess and after a while his parents had stopped paying for cable. After that it was only good for VHS tapes. When he was little he remembered popping in a Lion King or Veggie Tales, but that was it, and all this talk of the Kardashians and Twitter and boy bands? Well, he felt like an 80 year old already. Didn’t follow none a’it.

If he wanted to watch something he went over to a friend’s, some miles away in a different, larger town, and he’d developed a taste for horror: The Shining, Suspiria, the bloodier the better, and that was as far as he delved into popular culture. Coming to Vermont was something of a culture shock. There were too many likes and dislikes here; too many intersecting tastes. Too many things he’d never heard of. He tried his best to hide it, but it bothered him.

First Jack Sprat and now ‘Slytherin’? “What th’ hell are talkin’ about?” He knew what a scowl was, but not a Slytherin one - but it had to have been an insult, judging by Oriel’s sneer.

Erik watched him stuff his mouth for a bit. He wished it’d stay that way, ‘cause he was starting to understand. “Ain’t my problem you’re bored. Ain’t here to entertain you. You’re at the wrong fuckin’ table.” He crossed his arms. “What the fuck were you expectin’? Y’think I draw this kind of crowd by bein’ interestin’? You wanna dinner show,” he gestured, “you fuckin’ find someone else to screw with, asshole.”

His book bag was stashed between his knees, underneath the table. He hadn’t noticed that the lips had opened; two little glints of eyes peeked out.

[Deleted]

Good god, Oriel couldn't believe his bad luck. Not only was this guy boring and uninteresting, he was even stupider than Oriel was! "Fuckin' lame, is what. I mean, what the fuck's the point of insulting you if you ain't gonna even get it?" He rolled his eyes, suddenly wishing there were other options than this boring bean sprout. But Oriel's dislike of crowds was famous(at least in his mind) because there was nothing more annoying the getting pushed and bumped by a bunch of strangers who you've no idea where the fuck they've been! It would have pissed him off even more than associating with this lame-o.

"Uh...do you see any other seats around that ain't occupied by a holy privileged ass?" Oriel gestured to the other tables, not a one having a place to sit that didn't involve him being exactly next to someone. This was the most comfortable place to be, even if the company was duller than a black and white television. "Believe me, you're still the most interesting thing here. I ain't moving." And he shoveled more goop into his mouth.

His eyes flicked up at the kid while he chewed, scrutinizing, actually looking at the kid across from him. "Hmph," he grunted after another swallow. "If nothing else at least you're nice to look at."

[Erik Stewart]

Erik didn’t look over as indicated, just narrowed his eyes. Holy privileged ass? “Well what’s that make you then?” Something worse, he reckoned.

It occurred to him that he didn’t even know this kid’s name, not that there was much opportunity to find out. Erik watched him eat and talk at the same time, blue eyes slitted and lips tight. He was a little curious about Oriel’s little dysfunction. Didn’t everyone here have one? Erik wanted to know if he’d turn into a bear or start spitting flames at him or something, but hell if he’d ask. Luckily for him, Erik wasn’t as keen as he’d be on other days to start some shit, or else he would’ve flipped his lunch tray off the table by now. He didn’t want to get in trouble for making a scene and having DJ in his backpack right now – he was on thin ice as it was, and there’d be a good chance they’d finally make him get rid of the snake.

So he kept his hands in his lap. They tightened into the fabric of his jeans. ‘Slytherin’ scowl was right; Erik got more and more surly with each second, ‘til one could feel the heavy, brooding atmosphere around him, as tangible as humidity. “I told you I ain’t,” he protested shortly.

Then he went very still. A hot rush of blood swept up his thin neck and filled his freckled cheeks. “Th’ fuck’s that supposed t’mean?” He’d hit a nerve. “You’re just fuckin’ with me aren’t you?”

[Deleted]

Oriel's eyes narrowed as his smile widened. "The Dark Demon Overlord." He snickered villainously to himself, a kind of laugh he would never admit to practicing when he thought no-one was watching. 'Cause you know, every dark overlord needed their signature evil laugh.

If Erik had flipped his tray in response to Oriel's blatant provocation, it would have been even more amusing than this conversation which lacked all the color a cat shittin' rainbows. Hell, it would've meant victory for Oriel, that this guy had so easily lost his cool in the face of mere words. But so many people did when talking to Oriel, the boy really was a hopelessly sadistic, control-freak asshole.

But Oriel could tell he was getting to him. He just needed to dig a little deeper to find out what makes this guy tic. And it wasn't too long before he found it, in all it's flustered glory. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said, breaking into his own snakelike smile. "Did I make you uncomfortable?" Oriel stuck out his tongue, curling the tip upwards in further provocation. He wondered if this guy was gay or a homophobe, the way he reacted like that. Either way, it was unexpected ammunition.

[Erik Stewart]

Erik hadn’t told anyone he was gay within the three years he’d been here – even though it might have been obvious. He was dainty, almost. He never showed interest in girls. Sometimes, he looked too long at clothing magazines. He’d picked up a bottle of nail polish that’d been lying around outside, but he hadn’t had the guts to actually do them yet, because, somehow, homosexuality seemed a much harsher stigma than being a mutant.

Yet as obvious as it might’ve been, he didn’t like anyone pointing it out. Erik naturally thought any mention of it was at his expense. Oriel stuck his pink tongue out at him and Erik bore his teeth. “Why don’t you fuckin’ put that back in your mouth, asshole, or I’ll rip it straight out. What th’ fuck’s your problem anyway? You come over here, you sit down, you do nothin’ but fart out your mouth ‘bout Slithering an’ Dark Demon Overlord shit like a fuckin’ two year old and then you wanna ask me if I’m uncomfortable? Huh? You stupid or somethin’? I’m askin’ you if you’re slow.”

His eyes were starting to flare up. His voice was starting to raise; already people around them were starting to look over. “You fuckin’ must be if you’re startin’ shit in a school full of freaks, y’know that? You wanna know what I can do? I could make your face look like it’s got a bad case of gangrene.” Erik knew what those teeth of his did; he’d seen it at work on the neighbor’s cat. “I could make your skin melt off. You’d bleed out your fuckin’ eyeballs, I swear on the Bible.”

DJ poked his head out the book bag, flickering his tongue at Oriel’s direction, thankfully still out of sight.

[Deleted]

Oriel didn't give a rat's ass whether this guy was actually gay. If you asked any of Oriel's friends(few of which they were) they'd tell you that Oriel was a sexual deviant and who would sleep with anything that had legs. Well, maybe only Kodah and Penelope would say that, one for just being pissed at him, the other for actually being acquainted with bedroom Oriel. While that was an inaccurate assessment, it was still pretty close and by this point he was pretty comfortable with his sexuality....well, ok, he had to admit he was a little strange(or a lot!), but who the fuck cared!? It wasn't like he had any morals tying him down.

And unknown to Oriel, Erik did have those ties and was what was making him respond so fiercely.

Not that Oriel wasn't already being a dick-wad.

Oriel leaned in. "Oooo. Scary!" He wasn't sure what this guy's power was, but it couldn't be as bad as some hot-headed pyros or slutty pheramoners he knew. However, it did cross his mind that this guy might explode soon and Oriel was going to need to book it once he did. "You know, I think I might've hit a nerve somewhere in there." Though, if Oriel had known he was dealing with a literal snake, he might've had second thoughts about testing this guy.

[Erik Stewart]

“Y’didn’t answer my question, dipshit,” Erik snapped.

He’d crossed the threshold now. Erik was always angry, but when riled up it peeled back and reared its head like a sleeping animal that’d been rudely woken. He could feel it pressing against the inside of his skin. It’d rupture through him soon.
But Oriel didn’t back down. Instead, he leaned close and spoke to him, and Erik could see up close the taunt in his eyes and the state of his shit-eatin grin, and then he’d done it, his last nerve had been trod upon, and damn the pain and damn the consequences; Erik was furious and it sparked a change.

“I ain’t fuckin’ with you – ” he said, but the last bit came out warped. There were literal cracks in his jaw and down his spine, as audible as gunshots; livid fire swept through his body in the form of agony, and for a while it shone in his eyes. He looked pitiable in an instant. While his head and body compressed and mutated his blue eyes looked startled at the realization
why had he done this to himself?
but that was quickly swept away as those eyes became reptilian beads. After the initial crick-crack of his body and the lengthening of cords and muscle and viscera, the transformation was quick. He fell into it, as he would in ice-cold water during the winter. There was a thump on the cafeteria table. A black cord slithered across its surface, until it became clear that it wasn’t rope at all, but a living black thing with diamond-shaped scales and an undulating belly. A serpent.

Its head rose above the coils. It had a heavy, bullet-shaped head – indicative of a venomous species. Its black tongue flickered once from between its scaley lips. It was large – six feet in length. The blue eyes embedded in his head no longer contained humanity, only the vicious hunger of an animal.

There were shouts and screams from around them, but the snake in Erik’s place didn’t seem to care. It opened its distinctive white mouth and hissed at Oriel’s direction, clearly threatening, body coiling as if to strike.

[Deleted]

This one Oriel really should've let be. But the boy had the foresight of a blind moose and probably the intelligence of one too. Or at least common sense. That he did not have. At least not when it came to his own twisted concept of self-entertainment.

Sure this place was full of "freaks" and some of them had some pretty volatile powers, especially where their own personal temperament was involved, but that usually didn't stop Oriel from being an asshole to people. Though admittedly, he should've learned his lesson after the last time with the pheromone chick, which pretty much just fucked up even more what was already fucked up to begin with.

When Erik started his transformation, Oriel's first thought was now that's fucking cool, but as the other boy rapidly began changing into something large, reptilian, and overall dangerous, Oriel definitely wasn't smiling anymore. In fact, he was a little bit frozen and pale in the face, staring down at second thing in his life he was most terrified of(and was far to vain to admit to anyone).

With a scream that he would later deny ever happened, Oriel fell backwards off his seat and onto the tiled cafeteria floor, rolling and crawling and scuttling away from the serpent. "HOLY GOD MOTHER OF FUCK!!" Oriel cried as he back himself into the neighboring table. Had he been more calm(and less of an asshole), Oriel might have apologized and tried to calm down the raging shifter, or maybe he would've fought back and thrown random utensils and food items at him, but instead, Oriel was too busy shaking in his boots, or rather his shoes since he didn't have boots, and trying to get his brain to turn back on long enough for him to GTFO.

[Erik Stewart]

The black serpent let out a hiss like crashing waves. Its coils tightened over themselves. When they released, it was with blinding speed, quick only as a snake could strike. Yet it found nothing but the very edge of Oriel’s shirt – catching briefly before tearing through the threads. Oriel had moved a second too soon, and good for him, too; there were clear drops of liquid dripping on the floor, falling from the serpent’s milky white fangs. Venom, intended for the other boy’s veins.

There was no doubt that Erik was still capable of coherent thought in this form. Dozens of shape-shifters would have confirmed it. But whatever human conscience remained in him had been replaced with the instincts of an animal – some sort of massive pit viper to be exact. Coupled with the anger he felt towards Oriel, he surely would have pursued him if he’d the chance.

Instead, that initial strike had sent the lunchroom in a panic. There was really something to be said about man’s natural fear of snakes. Students shouted and left their tables, pushing one another to leave, to get out of the way, to get to safety. Erik never made it to Oriel’s prone body. The snake revealed its distinctive cotton-white mouth one last time before sweeping away, underneath the table, where he was joined by DJ.

If Oriel remained to watch, he’d only see them slither off, hidden from the panic.

[hmm u think maybe this thread is done? :3]