snake charmer {Oriel}

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Oriel had long gotten used to seeing his power in action, but he'd nearly forgotten just how amazing it was after he first manifested and started experimenting with it. The experimentation was fun, but it didn't mean that he was any less bitter that his power revolved around a talent that he just didn't have……alright, it wasn't just that he thought it was nobody's business that he didn't show off his power, though that certainly was a big reason. Oriel didn't like showing it because he was embarrassed. Because it would likely lead to revealing other things about himself that he'd rather people not know.

Oriel shook his head, smiling as Erik took the mock-ish blade from him and started running his fingers over it. "Not quite. Can't make things living."

He watched in morbid amusement as Erik flinched when the blade broke the skin on his finger to which he softly snickered at. "Yeah, it is. Can do a bit of damage with that thing. Only problem is…" Oriel trailed off as he plucked the knife from Erik's hands and held it up sideways, flumping over against the side of the bed. Covering his other hand with the blanket, Oriel grasped the blade with it and, with barely any effort, snapped it cleanly in two. "It ain't that strong. So it's only got a one time use on it." He shrugged.

"That and," he took both pieces in his hands and meshed them together as if the objects weren't even there. He stood and quickly chucked them against the far wall as hard as he could where they hit with a splat. Two deformed versions of the pieces of blade stained the wall like a couple of exploded paintballs. "Shit's still ink." He felt the inside of his nose tickle. Oriel scratched it.

[Erik Stewart]

Erik watched as he took it, and snapped it. He blinked, feeling as if Oriel had just needlessly destroyed a piece of art. He frowned. “I wanted t’keep that,” he protested.

As if to add insult to injury, he sent it smashing against the wall. It left a splatter of ink and dusty material. Sticking his cut finger in his mouth, Erik sat and sucked at it, looking sorely put out. Besides the mess it’d made, he was sorry to see it go. He mumbled a reply to Oriel’s explanations, shrugging one shoulder, the taste of iron filling his mouth. At least the mood didn’t last for long – it was nothing but a childish and almost innocent sulk.

When he looked up, he found a red trail of blood leaking from Oriel’s nose. “You got a nosebleed,” he said.

He wasn’t done with the other boy’s power. Erik was obviously charmed by it – he hadn’t met anyone with such a novelty of an ability, and not only did he want to see more of it, he also wanted something of his own. He thought he might even keep it for a long time, if he could. Maybe if he took care of it well, it wouldn’t shatter and break. He would keep it, he decided, on the dresser overlooking his bed.

Erik shifted until his back was straight against the bedside. “Make me somethin’,” he demanded. He perked up. “A snake!”

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Oriel almost felt bad for destroying the knife, but…not really. They were a dime a dozen. Or more accurately, 50 cents each for a random one of seven down at the machine in front of the mom 'n pop barbershop. "I'll make you another one then." Didn't matter to him.

His eyes shot down at Erik when he pointed out the small trickle of blood coming from Oriel's nose. He merely wiped it away with his finger. "Happens. Side effect." The most bothersome of them. Oriel could deal with the others just fine though.

What he wasn't expecting was for Erik to be so interested. Well, yeah, Oriel had to admit that it was fucking cool sometimes, but Erik's interested seemed a little excessive. He didn't think he remembered anyone else expressing such excitement over his power.

Oriel's eyebrows shot up when Erik shot out his demand so childishly. "A snake?" He pensively scratched the back of his neck. "Alright. Fine. Draw me a snake, bring me a picture, I'll make it for you. It's gotta be ink though. Pencil don't work."

[Erik Stewart]

Erik wasn’t prepared to whip up something of his own. Like all students, he doodled in class on occasion – and, granted, it was mostly snakes or other kinds of reptiles – but the thought still made him scoff. He definitely wasn’t an artist. Didn’t seem like Oriel was, either, but Erik was certain he could do better than him…hell, anyone could, and what he wanted was something that was purely Oriel’s to keep.

“It’s your power, you make it,” he insisted.

He wasn’t about to leave it at that. It was obvious Oriel needed more convincing, and Erik was prepared to wheedle it out of him; he was good at that sort of thing when he wanted to be, and especially from people he let screw ‘im. It was a perfect mixture of wide eyes and tilting head, parted lips, some touching on the arm if need be; his voice at just the right tone, a little high-pitched and a little whiny, which he let drone on at the vowels (like the sweet ‘pleeease’ or the gentle ‘come ooooon’). Most of the time he didn’t need to edge in the guilt, but he did if they got hesitant. Were they really gonna let him walk all the way home? After they drilled his ass like that? (This was particularly effective if they already had a girlfriend or a boyfriend.)

Not that Oriel was quite the same. No, Erik wasn’t looking for extra cigarettes to leech off of him, or bottles of beer. In fact, his request was mostly innocent. He had not pulled away when he’d kissed him. He hadn’t flashed disgust.

But he wasn’t just going to let his hard-earned talents go to waste.

“A snake’s th’ easiest thing in th’ world, y’just draw a long balloon thing and put eyes on it,” he said. “I don’t even care what it looks like! I just wanna keep it. I’ll like it anyway.”

Erik folded his arms on top of his knees and placed his chin on them. He blinked up at him with his clear blue eyes.

“It’s my birthday soon,” he added.

[Deleted]

Oriel couldn't draw worth shit and he knew of nobody who would want anything drawn by Oriel as a present. It didn't matter if it was his own power, he couldn't do it! Last time he showed off his "stellar skills", Xavier had practically laughed his head off. Since then, nobody. Not even Kodah. Not even Phen. Not even Lux!

And Erik wanted him to--?

"I don't care how easy it is! I can't draw! It'll be horrible!" Oriel protested, his face starting to flush a bright red. "Shit, I can't even write good, what makes you think I can draw a straight line, much less a snake?"

Erik's cerulean eyes, a bright blue color that seemed to glow, stared up at Oriel, tugging away at his heart strings, at his weakness to a pleading face. But still….it wasn't like he was begging, really. Just making him feel guilty a little. It was nothing.

"It's my birthday soon."

"Your--?" Ok, now Oriel did feel bad but… No! Oriel shook his head, he would not be swayed! "I can't do it! Ain't no way!"

[Erik Stewart]

The blush on Oriel’s cheeks made him smile (in a charmed sort of way, and also a very amused sort of way). He’d never seen him blush before. Chances were, Oriel wasn’t even that bad at it – and if he was, well, it wasn’t as if Erik had any grounds with which to criticize him for it. Besides, he really wasn’t going for the aesthetics. Snakes were cool. Oriel’s power was cool. Therefore, he would end up with A Cool Thing, no matter what it looked like.

Erik got up on his feet, pushing his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. “Pleeeeaase,” he said.

He gave him a winning smile. He leaned close, his eyes blue and beseeching. When Oriel met his gaze he reached out and touched his arm, wrapping his hand around the sleeve as if to lightly tug at it.

“You’re not gonna make me beg you for a birthday gift, are you?” he said. “An’ it’s not like I need nothin’ else so y’don’t have t’pay for anythin’ either. C’mon. It ain’t that hard.”

He tilted his head, his grin turning into a small smile. “You ain’t embarrassed are you?”

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Oh, if Erik thought that Oriel wasn't that bad an artist, he was in for a surprise. Oriel had gone out of his way to try over and over, time and time again, he knew the extent of his capabilities….

Then again Oriel was also of the mentality where if he couldn't do something reasonably well the first few or hundred times he just gave up, because stubborn. Yes, he understood that it took time and practice to become good at something, and he was usually pretty good at doing that when nobody was looking until he got comfortable enough, good enough to do it in front of people without making himself look like a fool but….shit, this was a completely different story and he just couldn't do it!!

Oriel had long since given up trying…

But Erik…shit that little minx, that snake, that little seducing slut, he was doing a pretty good job at poking and prodding and coaxing and trap him into actually giving up and before Oriel knew it he was sitting down at the desk, pen in hand, and scrawling over a piece of paper something that looked like a turd-worm with googly-eyes.

Oriel stood and shoved it at Erik. "There, see, I suck." While Oriel's scowl hid features of embarrassment, all that was given away by the strawberry red color that had invaded Oriel's cheeks, ears, and neck. "Of course I'm embarrassed, you little shit."

[Erik Stewart]

Erik wouldn’t make fun of him. Didn’t have any grounds to. What made him smile, though, was the way Oriel gave in and plopped down at his desk with what looked like the sulkiest face he’d ever seen in his life. Erik laughed, crossed his arms, and leaned his hips against the side of the desk. When the so-called “turd-worm” emerged, he reached out to take it.

It felt smooth against his hand. The big googly eyes were kind of funny, he thought, but in a charming, distinct way; almost childish. After a moment, he lifted his head. Erik was still smiling. It was a rare moment – rarely did anyone see his face contorted like that (and for so long) unless they were at the right place at the right time, and maybe it had a lot to do with being the right person, too. It was a bit like a rare natural phenomenon that way.

“Thanks,” he said, and he meant it.

Erik reached out to put his arms around Oriel’s neck. He turned his face to press his lips against his cheek. It was brief and chaste. “It’s cute.”

Afterwards, he turned to put the thing gently in his backpack, hoping it’d be preserved on the trip back to his dorm. There was a warm light feeling inside of him that he recognized as happiness. It was the first year in a long while that he’d get something for his birthday, even if he did have to squeeze it out of him.

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Well….at least it was worth it. He looked so happy. Oriel couldn't recall seeing him smile like that ever, most of them had just been snarky or sarcastic. Erik had a mean sneer but who knew he could look so…..

With the color fading from his cheeks, Oriel returned to him a small, hesitant smirk. It made him feel a bit giddy, knowing that Erik actually appreciated something that Oriel had made for him. That anyone could actually appreciate anything Oriel did was….heartwarming.

He certainly didn't expect a hug from Erik and was half tempted to turn Erik's chin back in for a more "unchaste" kiss. But it was fine. This was fine. He did, however, place his hands around Erik's waist and returned the small embrace. "Your welcome," he muttered.

"Don't break it," Oriel cautioned as they parted, though Oriel doubted he would. "And, um.…happy birthday."