March Writing Challenge: 100 Stories. 1 Month.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

65. Exception

Few things were kept from their children. In general, the Serrano-Blaise family was an open one. There were, however, certain pieces of information that was held away. A dragon formed from the dates of birthdays that lived on the psychometrist's shoulder, for one. A secret that was discovered only a couple of years ago by their youngest son. It wasn't particularly bad for the Brit's second tattoo to be known.

This was.

Two sets of eyes landed on Penny – one dark, one light - as she sat the pair down in the kitchen, a cup of tea in front of each member of the Blaise-Serrano family, all except Lucy, who chose to stand, hands cupped around her preferred beverage.

Neither of them looked particularly hurt, but rather curious as to the explanation about to be given to them. As much as it was a secret, it was a fact that wasn't well hidden in the the Brit's personality. Ellis raised his eyebrows, amusement practically lining his features as he waited, fingers tapping against his knee. Lincoln had the calmer, older expression of the two.

Lucy? Penny didn't need to glance in her direction to know the way her features twisted.

“Boys.” The psychometrist started on an exhale, fingers curling around the tea cup as she drew it closer to herself.

“Mom.” Two voices in perfect unison as they acknowledged the matriarch of the household.

Another breath, and Penny resisted the urge to bring her cup to her lips. Buying time wasn't about to work when it came to the pair. She straightened her back, finally sparing a sidelong glance to her wife, who leaned against the frame of the kitchen entrance as she twitched her eyebrows up. As if she had nothing to do with the sudden information given to her sons that Penny was now forced to explain.

“I love you.” Penny started, making sure that was clear. It was the most important part, after all. “And yes, it's true that I wasn't...expecting to have two boys.”

“You hate guys, mom.” Ellis pointed out quickly, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the table.

“No-- well, yes.” Penny felt herself falter. Felt the tension of the room shift as she clenched her jaw for a spare set of seconds. “But I don't hate you two.” Determined to get her point across, she missed the crack of a smile her older son started to form. Barely a hint of it before his lips pressed together firmly. “I raised you to insure that you wouldn't have any of the qualities I do dislike in men.”

There was a pause. Several seconds as she looked to Lincoln and Ellis from across the table, hoping to see some sort of dent of progress made.

Finally, a laugh cut through the air, emitting from Lincoln as he shifted forward slightly, a much louder laugh coming from the younger of the two just moments later. As amusement filled the air, Penny felt her eyebrows furrow together with further confusion. It wasn't exactly something to joke about.

Her lips parted again, intent on trying to explain further, but before she could, the older of the two cut in. “It's okay.” Link finally offered, “We get it.”

[Odion Martins]

2. Eternal

Twenty years of marriage was definitely worth celebrating. Fifty years of living, well, that was also something to consider. Odion never truly believed that he would live past his early forties, so when Lani agreed to marry him, everything he could have wanted had already come true. And he had enjoyed every corner of every moment that he had been given. They had essentially become foster parents for kids and young adults who grew up similar to them, giving them a chance at life by showing them the tricks of the trade. While others their age were longing for retirement, for them it felt like life had only just begun.

They were leaving the complex together as they normally did, clutching each other’s hands as they normally did. This was as normal as anything about them could get.

“I think a trip to see Caroline and the kids is in order,” Odion suggested to Lani, his hair still in general disarray, though time hadn’t seemed to affect that color so much, just like Lani’s late father.

“You trust the gang to its own devices?” Lani challenged, a small grin on his face.

Odion smirked and chanced a glance behind him. “Honestly? Not really.”

They shared a laugh and a comfortable silence surrounded them. Time seemed to bend and sway and Odion became pensive as he so often did. He wasn’t sure how they were suddenly back in their small home that they had purchased on the outskirts of Pilot Ridge ten years ago, but he was in the middle of saying something.

“Do you find it strange that we’ve never really left?” He asked, glancing out the window as a bus rolled by.

Lani looked slightly confused, peering over the top of his reading glasses. “What d’you mean?”

“Pilot Ridge, Vermont I mean. I thought we would be living somewhere else by now.”

Lani smiled fondly and put ‘The Name of the Wind’ down for the time being. “We can leave, if you want.” He sighed, moving closer to Odion. “I don’t think I can leave the kids though. At least not for a long period of time.”

Odion grinned, lacing his fingers with Lani’s. “You’re right, what would I do without them?”

Lani shrugged, his thumb tracing over Odion’s increasingly weathered hands. “Dunno, travel more?”

Odion smiled and gave a curt nod, thinking about all of the different places they had been in their lifetime. All of North America had been explored, and various parts of Europe, Africa, and South America. They had both been hesitant about Australia because of the long flight times and Odion’s fear of flying, but Lani was still working on that.

There was no explanation as to why suddenly, everything was dark. But happiness was in his heart and a smile stuck on his face as he felt the warmth of someone’s hands over his eyes.

“Where are we now?” He asked into the darkness and someone guided him along.

“Shut up stupid, it’s a surprise,” Avi said, giggling to herself.

Odion failed at supressing a laugh, and sighed. “I wish I had Lani’s telekinesis right now.”

As he allowed himself to be pushed forward, Odion felt that familiar sensation that let him know Lani was nearby. Their powers collided in a comfortable way and metaphorically smiled. There was nothing like that warm feeling of coming home.

He found himself tripping on some stairs and Avi helped him through fits of laughter. “Come on Red, you’d think you’d know the way up your own house steps.”

Odion laughed, still using his hands for guidance. “Well that would’ve been nice to know ages ago.”

The telltale sign of the doorknob clicking came next, and Avi finally dropped her hands.

“Surprise!”

A rousing chorus of shouting erupted around him, and Odion thought his face would break he was smiling so much. Jared was already well into the champagne and Declyn seemed to be hogging a different bottle of alcohol all to himself, since he wasn’t holding a cup.

“Happy birthday Odi!” Caroline broke away from the crowd to give him a hug. Odion smiled and wasn’t sure what to do with himself. He was almost fifty years old and no one had ever done something like this for him. His birthday was never really that special.

“Happy birthday you snivelling twat!” Yelled Jared, slinging his arm around Avi’s shoulders. “Best idea your boy Lani’s ever had if you ask me.”

“I wasn’t, but thanks anyways,” came Lani’s voice from their kitchen, who was making his way into the living room with a tray of Avi’s famous cookies.

“Mom, what’s a twat?” A little boy was tugging at Caroline’s hand.

Odion smiled and kissed Lani deeply, getting a few cheers from their close friends and family.

“Your idea?” He asked after pulling away, smirking at the red hue on Lani’s face.

“Maybe,” Lani said, “but I had a lot of help.” He leaned forward to whisper something in Odion’s ear. Apparently, Lani had sent a round of plane tickets to both Boston and Ireland, and the ‘old folks’ as Lani so lovingly referred to them, were just about done unpacking in the guest bedroom.

They appeared from down the hallway as though on cue and Odion had the chance to hug and hold his parents and in-laws. Apparently it wasn’t just a surprise for him, as Declyn hugged their parents and Caroline hugged hers. This was a chance for everyone to get together as a family, and Odion was glad to sit back and laugh while stories were exchanged, grandparents hugged grandchildren, and friends made fun of each other. Eventually he found Lani holding up the wall by the kitchen and joined him.

“I can’t believe you put this together,” Odion said, taking a sip of rum from his glass.

Lani shrugged. “I figured it you could plan an elaborate engagement, the least I could do was put together a surprise birthday party for you.”

“Ten years later,” Odion teased.

“Shut up,” Lani said, leaning in to steal a kiss while no one was looking.

Everybody important to them was here in this room right now. They were laughing and talking and time seemed endless. It was a moment he vowed never to forget.

He never knew life could be so wonderful. It hadn’t always been this way, but he was glad he had finally gone back to meet his parents, letting them back into his life. He wasn’t sure if that had been the hardest thing in his life, or if coming out to Lani’s parents had taken the cake.

The memory was swept away from him suddenly and things went dark.

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

Odion wasn’t sure when he had said this, but he knew he had. He knew he was trying to comfort Lani in one of the hardest decisions he was going to make in his life.

“No, we have to. I promised…” Lani was looking at him seriously, content with the bargain they had made. If they told Lani’s family, Odion promised to make contact with his. They had lived together as ‘roommates’ for six years now, surely Lani’s family deserved an explanation. Especially if they meant as much to him as he claimed they did.

Odion nodded and squeezed Lani’s hand reassuringly. “We’re in this together, alright?”

Lani nodded back, unable to speak because he felt like he was going to throw up any second. He knew that as soon as his parents saw them, they would know. He didn’t think he would have to say anything, they would just be able to tell. Didn’t parents have special powers like that or something?

“Let’s do this before I change my mind,” Lani said briskly, ringing the doorbell and dropping Odion’s hand as the familiar sound of steps approaching the door came from somewhere deep within the Hunter residence.

Odion took Lani’s hand back. “Together.”

Lani looked at him and smiled. Of this, he was sure of. He knew the answer to their inside joke. It had something to do with Lani controlling things and Odion controlling time, he had forgotten the details of it by now, but he hadn’t forgotten the meaning. “For eternity.”

--

“Mr. Hunter.”

Lani’s head snapped out of the awkward position it had taken when someone falls asleep on a chair.

“Mr. Hunter, you can’t do this to yourself. At least go home and shower. A Mrs. Caroline Newater is waiting for you in the lobby.”

“Tell her to go home,” Lani said, his voice dry and raspy. He didn’t want her seeing him like this. He had always been his little sister’s rock. It didn’t matter that they were older now, he would always be looking out for her.

He looked at Odion beside him, barely listening to what the doctor was saying now as he stared out the window, watching a bus go by. How many times had they told him this was pointless? Maybe not in such harsh terms, but they had said for him to stop trying. To give up and lie down and let fate deal with Odion. Well he wasn’t going to stand for that. He was going to be there when Odion finally woke up, like he always did. He played with his ring absently.

It had been two weeks after the accident. Neither had seen it coming. On the night of their twentieth anniversary, they had been too happy to notice the vehicle before it was too late. Living a life of crime had many penalties to pay, and certain people had finally caught up to them. But it almost made sense – an eye for an eye. And how better to get that eye than when someone was least expecting it.

Suddenly there was shouting coming from the hall, and the doctor left immediately, closing the door behind him.

“Let me through!”

Lani stood up warily so as to not be caught off guard. This sort of thing happened so often it was barely a surprise, not with his telekinesis anyway.

Jared suddenly appeared in the room, giving Lani a wave. “Hiya Lani,” he said, before turning on the spot and opening the locked door.

A very angry and sputtering Avi walked in, followed by Caroline who looked stern faced, and Declyn, who seemed the most determined of all to get inside.

“The nerve of some people, not letting us see our friend,” Avi said, glaring at the doctor in the hallway.

“Visiting hours are over ma’am,” he tried explaining.

Avi looked absolutely insulted. “Ma’am?”

“Oh, and I suppose you’ll be calling security next?” Jared piped in. The doctor seemed as though he were seriously considering it. “Hello? Meta humans here? Move along,” Jared said, making a sweeping gesture with his hand, giving the doctor a stare as though he were an idiot before closing the door.

Lani sat back down and continued looking at Odion. Part of him wished people would stop visiting. He was being selfish, he wanted Odion to himself. He didn’t want to share with the kids when they had come by looking for their teacher, and he still didn’t want to share with friends and family.

“I brought these for you,” Avi said, offering Lani some cookies, the smell of them replacing the too clean smell of the hospital room. “They won’t go bad while you stay here.”

Lani took them limply in his hands. Jared had wrapped his arms around Avi’s waist, the elephant in the room looming heavily over them all.

“How’s he doin’?” Declyn asked, a serious look on his face as he looked over Odion’s face.

Lani’s steely eyes glazed over as he held back tears. “Doctor says he isn’t coming back.”

The room grew even more silent.

“But he’s still here, look, he’s still breathing,” Caroline said, trying to convince herself and anyone listening.

“He’s been like this before,” Jared offered, but even that slim hope didn’t make anyone smile.

Lani closed his eyes and wished he could believe them. He needed to, for Odion.

“You okay Lani?” Caroline asked softly, a hand moving to Lani’s shoulder.

Lani looked around at everyone and suddenly grew angry. “You’re all acting like he’s already gone. Don’t you think he can hear us? For god’s sake if you’re going to be here just, I dunno, be quiet.”

No one moved. Caroline’s grip on Lani’s shoulder tightened.

“I can’t stand to see ‘im like tha’.” Declyn was suddenly wiping at his face and heading for the door.

“Come on mate, you can’t have him waking up and seeing you looking like right shit, go home for a bit, yeah?” Jared said, concern on his face as he took Caroline’s hand off of her brother and nodded towards the door. “We’ll be in the lobby waiting for you.”

“We love you both,” Avi said, Caroline and Jared nodding in agreement. They left quietly, though Lani could still hear Avi and Jared telling off the doctors, nurses, and probably a couple patients as they made their way to the exit.

Lani wished he hadn’t snapped at them like that, especially not when he needed them most. He sighed and moved the chair closer to Odion’s bed before closing his eyes and resting his forehead on Odion’s arm. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be. They should be on their way to Australia by now, together.

Lani clutched at Odion’s hand, still strong, like he could still find his way home.

“Please Odion, come back to me.”

[Rune LeBeau]

77. "Melody"

((ooc: this ficlet is actually canon))

7 Years Ago
--------------

"Come on Rune dear, we haven't got all day." Maggie Martin happily chirped at her nephew from downstairs. The boy had been in a bit of a sour mood lately, and she thought a day out, plus a little surprise, was just what he needed. 


"Comin' Auntie Maggie!" The boy called from the bathroom, his freshly dyed hair still damp. It was bright orange and it made him smile as he looked at himself in the mirror. Part of him wondered if his aunt would be upset, but he was happy, so maybe she wouldn't mind. A few moments later, he was bounding down the stairs, in an odd rhythm that Maggie had grown somewhat fond of. The moment he came home, or left, she knew from his walk. Where he picked up all of this was anyone's guess.

"Rune, do be carefu..." Her words stuck in her throat as she looked up at the young man standing before her. His orange hair seemed to glow in the sunlight from the front door. "Well, that's an interesting new look." She smiled and ruffled the hair, messing it up just the way he liked it. Rune smiled too, he did try very hard not to displease his aunt, though it seemed to be getting harder to do. He was only 10, but after the encounter with his father, things just seemed to get worse. "We'll discuss how you were able to get your hands on hair dye later though." She gave another little chuckle, to let him know he wasn't in trouble, then patted him on the back and headed out the door. 

Rune was excited for today, his aunt had promised him a full day of her attention and some sort of surprise. He knew he didn't deserve it, given the way he had been acting lately. Yet, there they were, strolling down the sidewalks towards town. Maggie humming a little tune and Rune tapping out a beat with anything he could find. She only fussed at him once for using a stick on someone's fence, which he stopped instantly. Mostly because she asked, and secondly, their first stop was right next door. It was a small little restaurant, that just happened to have an old fashioned soda shop attached to it. 

As they stood at the counter, Maggie looked down at her nephew and gave him a little smirk. "Order whatever you want." Rune's eyes sparkled, did she really just say that? "Anythin'?" The boy asked, just to be sure. She nodded, and he set out to make was sure to be the largest bowl of ice cream any 10 year old had ever ingested. The day did not end there, she took him shopping for new clothes after that. There, he found a Doctor Who shirt and, as soon as it was paid for, pulled it on over the shirt he was already wearing. Then it was off to the music store. Rune never felt more lucky than he did at that moment, until his aunt stopped him on the way out.

"Rune, you know there is a dance studio above this shop?" She gave a small gesture above their heads. He nodded, and she continued. "Well, I signed you up for classes, and your's starts in a few minutes." Maggie beamed as Rune practically bounced up to hug her. She had not seen him this happy in months. However, as they made their way upstairs, Rune froze, he saw the other children waiting. They all looked nice, had fancy shoes for dancing, and most of all...their parents. "Auntie Maggie, what..what if I'm no good? What if the other kids laugh at me?"

Maggie knelt down beside him and looked him straight in the eyes. "If anyone makes fun of my little Runepelstilskin, they have to answer to me." She chuckled and ruffled his hair again. "Not good? Young man, you have very natural rhythm. You will be just fine." Rune smiled and gave her a tight hug, as tight as his scrawny little arms could manage, but something was still wrong and Maggie knew exactly what it was. "I know you miss them." She began and continued before Rune could protest. "You miss him as well, if you didn't you wouldn't be so angry." Rune just nodded and looked towards the small group of children laughing and dancing with their mothers and fathers.

"Rune, do you remember when I taught you about music? Harmony and Melody?" She smiled, still knelt beside him, despite how much it hurt her knees. "Of course Auntie Maggie, you can't have one without the other?" He spoke softly and looked back towards her. "That's right, because they compliment each other. Well, I want you to know something, you are the melody to my harmony. You bring music into my life each day, and I'm proud of you no matter what. I love you Rune." Most would think a 10 year old would never understand that, but Rune did. His little eyes watered a bit and he gave her the tightest squeeze he could manage. "I love you too." He whispered in her ear. Moments later, the dance teacher emerged from the door and ushered the children inside, Rune in tow.

------------
A Few Months Ago
------------

Rune had been away at Kocher when he got the call. His heart felt like it had sunk into the deepest pit and would never be able to lifted. His aunt had passed away. It really did not hit him though, not until the funeral. Natural, he was there, along with her friends from town. Even some of the kids he was in dance class with showed up to support him and show their respect to a wonderful woman. During the service, Rune held himself together fairly well, even though people had to ask if it was really him. The young man had dyed his hair back to black for this, he felt it was the right thing to do.  Even as some of her dearest friends came up to him and told him how sorry they were, he managed to hold back the tears.

It was only after everyone else had gone that Rune broke down. Dropping to his knees near the freshly packed dirt, he started to sob. It was the first time he had cried in years, and it almost felt foreign. Rune let himself be like this for what felt like hours before finally calming himself. "Well, I'm gonna miss ya old girl." He chuckled as he finally managed to stand on his own again. "Gonna miss this town too. Kocher as well I guess." Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he shuffled his feet a little. "I'm going to America, to that Meta school there, Hammel? Yeah Hammel...anyway..I just..I just wanted to let you know." He sniffled and was on the verge of tears again. "Aunt Maggie...I...you. You were my melody, not the other way around. If it had not been for you I'd be lost. I love you, I always will." With that, and more tears starting to flow, Rune turned and headed back to town. 

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

7. Repeat  

It was late – or rather, by then, it was early. Still several hours too soon for an alarm clock to go off. The only hint of light that filtered through the window of their shared bedroom was a barely existent, cool blue radiating from the moon. Even then, it was impossible for Penny's eyes to adjust to the darkness right away. That hardly mattered, however. Nor did the time. Both, a secondary concern compared to the gentle set of hands that pulled her from her slumber.

Her muscles tensed, shoulders rolling back in an attempt to stretch as familiar fingertips tracked across her skin. From just above her knee to her shoulder. Random patterns, just barely brushing with enough pressure to wake the light sleeper.

With a tilt of her head, Penny felt the draw of a tired smile pull at her lips, eyes finally adjusting in time to catch her counterpart's gaze. She was looking. Staring. Her own smile much wider than Penny's tired one, which only made it that much more enthralling to be woken in the middle of the night.

Without hesitation, Lucy moved through the distance. Already having been close, there wasn't much to push through, but Penny tried to meet her all the same. She was surprised, however, to not find her wife's lips, but instead feel the light pressure of them against the tip of her nose, causing the Brit to instinctively crinkle it.

In turn, a soft laugh erupted from Lucy's throat, cutting through the silence the night sky had created. The next moment, the Australian pressed her lips to Penny's. “I love you.”

The psychometrist's smile only grew as she exhaled, lips parting a moment late.

“I love you.” Eyes snapped open. Dazed as Penny tried her best to adjust to the sudden brightness of the television in their living room, contrasting to the dark room down the hall she had felt she was just in. Another glance to the television and she let out a breath. James Bond. Right, she had put it on in an attempt to cut through the irksome silence that filled their home.

Next, she looked to the clock. 3:47 AM. 9:47AM in Paris.

Exhausted, the Penny eased the blanket off of herself. Clearly it hadn't been in their linen closet long enough to erase the memories that resided within the fabric. Careful hands folded it, fighting every psychometric urge it threw at her as she eventually lifted herself from the couch to tuck it away back in the closet. She scanned the contents. There were blankets, sheets, but by then the Brit determined none of them would do. That a blanket wasn't necessary.

So she returned to the couch, legs curling up to herself as she pressed her head to the pillow of her makeshift bed, dark eyes focusing on one of her wife's favorite movies.

Nine more weeks.

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

#83 - With You
Word Count: 1884

Present Time
It’d been over a year, if you didn’t count the times when the relationship had been severed or damaged for one reason or another. It’d been over a year since Gryphon had met Kodi, and almost a year since they had started being boyfriends. Gryph was still mulling this over as Kodi spoke to him and as he looked over Pilot Ridge from the outlook. They were stood next to each other, holding hands, and Kodi was just talking about a book… Dracula, something about him being similar… monsters… yeah, Gryphon was lost from the conversation ages ago. He was just in his head now.

Until he was whapped on the arm by the exact person he was thinking about. “Hey, moron!” Gryphon had jumped from the sudden shock back to reality, and shook his head a little, as if he’d just been woken up. He blinked at Kodi, brow furrowing, “Why’d you hit me~?” He whined, pouting. Kodi didn’t seem impressed, “You’re ignorin’ me!” He complained right back at him, obviously frustrated by Gryph's lack of focus.

Gryphon paused for a moment, musing over this accusation, in a minor, lulled state of confusion, “...I was?”

“Gryph!” Kodi raised his hand threateningly again, obviously pissed off, and Gryph became a little more alert, “Hey, hey, I’m here now!” His counterpart seemed to calm down, and the winged man sighed, looking out again, “Sorry.” He said softly, obviously still deep in thought, as he fell silent and said nothing more on the subject. Kodi’s brow furrowed, “Gryphy…?”

“A lot has changed, hasn’t it?” His thoughts came out of his mouth, and he looked at Kodi as the winter air swept past them gently, “I mean, we weren’t in this position a year ago, were we?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

February 8th 2014, Room 507
Gryph was tired, but he was still awake, swimming in his thoughts as he processed how this was progressing. It’d been less than half a month, and yet he was here in Kodi’s room, cuddling the younger boy as he fell into sleep. It was strange. His relationship with Nick had developed with a friendship, so the building affection had come through the knowledge of the person - or, at least, what he'd thought he knew. Now, however, Gryphon knew he was curious about Kodi, but so far, he was barely an acquaintance when it came to the winged man’s knowledge of him. He just knew what he knew from other people, and the small amounts he had found out by himself, like the secret that Kodi kept about reading and all the things they had spoken about as they had come back to Hammel, which had basically told Gryph that Kodi was a party person who liked regular sex. Almost nothing like Gryphon. Ah, well, moving on...

He wondered how long the dentokinetic expected to keep the fact that he read books hush-hush from everyone else. It wasn’t really that embarrassing, was it? Showing intellect? Kodi was strange in that sense, Gryph felt. He seemed more intelligent than Gryphon anyway, it confused him as to why the other boy felt it best to keep that brain hidden.

He felt the boy get heavier, and soft purrs of slumber rolled from his throat. That was... adorable, especially considering how much Kodi tried to be gruff. Gryphon smiled to himself and looked through the blinds, out into the night. This had almost been like a date, today… after coming away from the Valentine’s dance, going to that cafe, walking back here, the massage, the kissing… it was strange. And the fact that any ‘games’ were over now, that this was supposed to be a bit more serious now. Maybe.... maybe it was moving a little fast… but maybe Gryph didn’t mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Present Time
Kodi chuckled a little, bemused by Gryph's sudden serious behaviour, “No, we weren’t.” He looked back at his taller lover, considering this fact, “It’s… kinda scary…” He said softly, sighing, “I never imagined anything like… like this.” Gryph squeezed his hand as he spoke, giving a smile along the lines of being sympathetic, because he knew exactly what he meant, “Yeah…” Gryphon couldn’t think of much more to say than that on the matter.

If the ground wasn’t still damp from the winter conditions, they probably would have been sat on the grass, staring out. As it was, Kodi was already freezing, considering how different it was weather-wise in the north compared to the south, and neither of them needed to get soggy butts. Gryphon let go of Kodi's hand and wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him in closer to keep the southerner a little bit warmer. Kodi smiled and nuzzled Gryph's shoulder, both of them remaining quiet for the longest time as the Sun set. It was a serene moment, and Gryphon was cherishing it very much.

"....I love you." He muttered quietly, tilting his head down to peck his lover on the forehead. Kodi smiled warmly, "I love you too, babe." He almost felt emotional.

As it began to get darker, and even colder than it was already, Kodi shivered, "I wanna go home." He muttered, looking up from their embrace. Gryph nodded, "Then let's go home, love." His hand slid down Kodi's back and arm, to his hand again, where their finger intertwined and they both turned around, walking to the bus stop. Huh... home. That had changed. For Gryph, it was originally Seattle, and then it was Hammel, and now it was this apartment he shared with Tak. Kodi seemed to consider the apartment his home as well, which Gryphon was perfectly fine with as well. It sucked that he didn't actually live there though - not yet, anyway, he had the rest of the school year to wait until that time. He remembered how upset Kodi had seemed at the prospect of Gryph's departure, no matter how much he tried to convince his boyfriend that it wouldn't change anything.

And then about half a month later, Kodi almost cheated on him. That had been rough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 14th 2014, The Lake
They were both kind of stuck in the moment. Gryph was fairly certain Kodi felt the same as him. Scared. Uncertain. Unprepared. How they were going to fix this now, he didn't know. The deception felt accidental, but it still hurt a whole lot, even as Gryphon held Kodi close, tucked around him. His mind was racing and he just didn't really know what to do next. He wanted to talk but he didn't want to somehow make this worse for either of them unintentionally. 

Maybe he could invite him back to his apartment? Was that a good idea...? Was it too soon after something like this? Gryph wanted to just accept Kodi's apology and be fine and move on, but who would expect him to do that? Hopefully Kodi didn't, he wasn't ready to think about doing anything really. Not straight away. But he was curious... what was Kodi thinking? Gryphon looked at his... boyfriend with inspecting eyes, trying to interpret that exactly. When the dentokinetic looked back, his eyes red, Gryph swallowed, "What do we do now?" He asked, clearly uncertain to a pretty big degree by now.

Kodi sighed and shook a little, tilting his head on Gryph's shoulder, "I dunno." He said quietly. They both started looking out over the lake, thinking again. What did the future hold? How would things change? Would they get better; would their relationship strengthen and grow, the trust rebuilding with it? Or... would it all go downhill? Would all the emotional strain be for nothing?

Gryph... had no clue. He just wanted everything to be normal again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Present Time
"Want me to turn the heating up?" They were home now, and Kodi was bundled in multiple blankets on the couch in an attempt to stay warmer, water was boiling in the kitchen for hot drinks and Gryph's feet were cold. Kodi peeked up and shook his head, before making room for his lover next to him, "Just come here and keep me warm." Gryphon smiled, rolling his eyes and sliding next to Kodi, squeezing his sides for a moment. Kodi pushed the winged man down and climbed on his chest, curling up as Gryph wrapped around him, chuckling softly, "Feeling better now, princess?" The dentokinetic's eyes opened and a limp arm came up and poked Gryph's cheek, "Don't call me that, moron~"

Gryphon giggled a little more, taking the poking hand in his own and kissing it before leaving Kodi be, looking to the side at the cute little animal that hopped around the apartment to his heart's content. He smiled - you couldn't help loving Fang, despite his out-of-place name. Gryph nuzzled his lover, who was looking at Fang as well, and had the most adorable smile on his face. "I swear sometimes," He began, in a teasing tone, "You love Fang more than you love me." Kodi pouted at him, "Don't make me choose~" He whined, before giving him a big smooch, smack on the lips, "You know who I love more anyway."

Gryph smiled at this, when the kettle finishing boiling. Kodi got off to go dote on his bunny friend and the older man began pacing towards the kitchen, getting out mugs and the such, keeping an eye on the other boy. A baby voice started coming out of him and Gryphon couldn't help giggling - it was adorable! Kodi whined a little, "Don't laugh at me~" Gryph approached him, distracted for now, and knelt down next to him as he watched the younger boy baby and pet the little bunny rabbit. Gryphon pecked his temple, "You're too adorable for words."

"I'm not adorable," Kodi complained, sharpening his teeth, "I'm vicious. Rawr~" Gryph smiled brightly in return, sticking out his tongue, "You say that every time and it never helps your case." Kodi huffed and rolled his eyes, dropping the subject and crossing his legs. And then Gryphon began thinking again, and got a little lost in his head. He'd thought a whole lot about how he'd ended up here, now, in such a... unique relationship. But... what about the future? He looked at Kodi and noticed his behaviour, and couldn't help smiling as it connected to his thoughts of the future. Of what could be.

He kind of came back to reality, obviously very content. "...I really love you, sweetie." Kodi noticed the sincerity and looked at his boyfriend with an intrigued, but nonetheless, happy expression, blushing slightly, "I love you too, Gryphy." Gryphon smiled, wrapping his arm around Kodi with the intention of staying there for a while, completely forgetting about the drinks for now. He just felt like being with Kodi for now.

A bold thought came to his mind. “You know…” He began slowly, as Kodi perked a little and glanced at him, “I… can imagine being married to you.” It came out of nowhere, but that was basically what he was thinking about, wasn’t it? He blushed slightly at his own words as Kodi’s smile widened and he nuzzled Gryph’s chest, “You dork.” He chided gently, before looking back at him again, “But… I can imagine it too.”

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

#34 - Locked
Word Count: 1912

This was a pretty interesting building. Gryph walked as casually as he could muster, seeming as if he was meant to be there, hopefully. With a cool demeanour, he held his hand over a scanner to be let into another room. Of course, this shouldn't have usually worked, but these weren't the usual circumstances. He had Kodi on his side, back at their secret hideout, keeping tabs on Gryphon's surroundings on his multiple screens so he could alert him of anything suspicious or dangerous that could be nearby, as well as handling partial control of the building's security systems, just enough to make sure Gryph could make it through doors without being instantly discovered as an infiltrator. Gryphon didn't really understand how it all worked, but that's why he was the brawn of the duo, and why Kodi was the brains. "Be careful," He said quietly into Gryph's earpiece, trying not to make him jump, "There's a pair of security guards approaching on your right." Gryphon glanced in that direction but otherwise continued as naturally as possible, the confidence radiating off of him keeping the guards from their suspicions. Gryph strutted into another room.

Gryphon didn't speak, although he knew Kodi would hear if he did. The problem lay in the fact that other people would hear too, and it was difficult to fathom a way to speak subtly when any information he might have needed to find out from his partner would not be subtle or simple at all. He sighed and continued on as instructed.

"You need to go through the door comin' up on your left. It will lead you down a corridor to the control room. From there, we can work on shuttin' this bitch down." 'This bitch' being the main computer in this whole research facility. Once he was in that room, all he needed to do was steal the main research files and evidence off of the servers and onto the memory stick he had with him, and delete any evidence or backup, before getting the hell out of there. Getting the files would be the easiest part. Gryph went through the door Kodi had indicated, after a 'successful' hand scan, and began walking down the empty corridor. Only a few people had access to this room, so it made sense.

What didn't make sense was the click he heard, the click of a lock. Gryph's brow furrowed, deeming it safe to speak, "Kodi, what the hell was that?" He could hear his partner wildly typing away on the other end, "I... I dunno, the doors just locked." Gryphon felt his heart beat faster, "All the doors?" The lights dimmed a little, and he became even more confused, "Maybe it's a power cut?"

Kodi seemed to be in a hurried state of distress, trying his best to solve the problem suddenly presented, "There's not been a power cut..." He muttered, still rapidly searching until his line went silent, except for the sound of his breathing. Gryph frowned, looking around, "Kodi...?"

"It's only the doors around you."

Gryphon swallowed, "Well... that's a good sign." He said sarcastically, beginning to look a little more thoroughly, "Can't you do anything? You've been able to open doors for me so far." Gryph asked. The way Kodi spoke made it very clear how concerned he was, "It's high security. I can't... I can't touch it without the system locating my computer. Gryph..." The other man sighed, "You're on your own."

And suddenly the spy felt a wave of nostalgia crash into his face. This was just like that one scenario, a couple weeks back. Gryph got put in lockdown somewhere and had to get out by himself, only to find afterwards that Kodi had been behind the whole thing, that it had been a training exercise. The possibility was less here, but nonetheless a possibility. Gryphon sighed, "Kodi, this isn't a joke." He didn't get a response straight away, and that annoyed him more. His tone became threatening, "Kodi..."

"What? I can't do anything!" He sounded sincere, but he had last time, too. Gryph growled, "Seriously, this is ridiculous. Get me out of here." He said, sternly. He didn't have time for this. "Now." Kodi sounded exasperated, verging on angry, "Don't you think I would if I could?" He replied, not realising Gryphon's assumptions, "You're bein' unfair."

The agile one became more pissed of, "Well, you're wasting-" Gryphon abruptly stopped, hearing a distinct hissing sound. That couldn't be good. He calmed himself from the possible threat as Kodi tried to regain his attention. Eventually he caught onto the words, "Gryphon, are you listenin'?"

"Yeah, I'm here, what is it?"

"They're leakin' carbon monoxide into that room, Gryph, you've gotta get out of there, right. now." Shit. Gryphon took a deep breath and released it, which was a bit of a mistake, as made him cough a little. "....copy that." That was his only reply, for now. Now he needed to focus on a solution. Well... he could be delicate and subtle, but then again, they apparently already knew he was here, so he was going to go with the obvious and destructive option. That one was always the most fun. "Kodi, is there anything-" He paused to cough for a moment, knowing every second was another step towards his possible demise, "Anything vaguely explosive nearby that I should know about?"

There was the sound of typing and a few bleeps before he got his answer, "No."

"Perfect." Gryph pulled off the buttons on his jacket and began attaching them to the door where he had come from, before going to the door he needed to go through. By this point, however, his lungs were feeling smaller and smaller and any time he coughed, he sounded like someone who smoked ten packs a day. He could hear Kodi getting nervous over their comm. system, "Gryph...." He warned, but Gryphon didn't really have time for chiding, pulling out a laser pen from his pocket (cliche, but it was effective) and began scorching the door frame, covering his mouth with his sleeve to hopefully keep some of the harmful gases from his lungs. It was taking time, time that Gryph was running out of... he managed to cut around the whole frame as he began to feel weak, and kicked the door in, which finally gave him entrance to the empty control room. He went to a corner and began coughing horrifically, wishing he'd trusted Kodi earlier so the situation could be somewhat better than it was right now.

Kodi had surveillance though, and Gryph vaguely heard his sigh of relief when Gryphon made it through, even though he began complaining straight away, "Gryph, you need to get out of there, the mission isn't as important as-"

"The next time.... would be more d.... difficult." Gryphon interrupted, though his speech was riddled with chesty coughs that broke up his words and sentences, as he began approaching the computer, "Just he....help me finish this." Kodi seemed to hesitate before giving in, his fingers and thoughts getting to work again, "Just put the drive in, Gryphy, I'll do the rest of the work." Gryphon found the right port and put it in, sliding to the ground to take some cleaner breaths of air as Kodi worked. He heard a noise and looked at the screens behind him, which had all gone dark.

"Get the drive and run." Kodi said this bluntly, and Gryph complied without a second thought, yanking out the storage device and putting it away safely. He jumped up and pressed a button in his jacket pocket, hearing the explosions of the button bombs that short distance away, and with every strength left, he began to run.

--------------------

Kodi was sat at his desk impatiently, waiting for any possible signs of life. Something had compromised the earpiece, so he couldn't communicate with Gryph anymore, and the moment those files had been uploaded, his whole computer system crashed. He was waiting for his computer to kick back to life - since he'd played with it enough, any more might damage it in some way - but more importantly, he was waiting for Gryphon.

He swiveled around in his chair, hearing small clangs resounding from behind the heavily reinforced door, sounds reminiscent of someone descending the ladder. He waited to relax until he was certain.

Five knocks. And then a whine, "Kodiiii...." Which was coupled with some more coughs.

Kodi couldn't help grinning, despite his worry and annoyance at the situation. He dashed forward and began unlocking the door as fast as he could, letting the man slump into his arms as it opened, petting his hair, "You're a moron." He said plainly.

Gryphon laughed and wheezed a little in his arms, "I'm a moron." He replied weakly, struggling to straighten up again to walk. Kodi wrapped an arm around his waist and supported him, leading the coughing man to their bedroom, where he laid him down and sighed, lying in front of him, "Don't do that t'me again, Gryphy," He said softly, brushing back some of the scruffy strands of hair behind his lover's ear, "I was worried sick."

Gryphon gently took hold of his face, opening his tired eyes slightly, with a smile, "You make it sound like I did this on purpose."

Kodi groaned, "Gryph-"

"I'll try." The older man said, pecking him on the lips, "But no guarantees. You know how this is." This 'profession' of sorts was a dangerous one. The mission could have ended a lot worse than it did, even if this was still a pretty bad outcome. At least they had those files. Gryph thought that was what Kodi would be concerned with the most right now, but as Gryphon pulled the memory stick out, Kodi took it out of his grasp and placed it on the nightstand, doing nothing else with it for now. Gryph raised an eyebrow and Kodi laughed, "You think I care more about some dumb memory stick than you?" Gryph hesitated, making Kodi laugh again as he began pulling at Gryphon's clothes, but for once without the intention of doing anything dirty. Gryph just let him do so, and let the man undress himself too, so they were both in their boxers, before Kodi pressed a few buttons on the nightstand to turn off the lights and close and lock the doors. He rolled over and pulled his still wheezing lover into his chest, nuzzling his head as Gryph groaned, already half asleep from the strain on his body. Kodi held him close, "We can call a doctor, if you want." He muttered softly, and Gryphon rejected with slurred mumble, said something about tomorrow... Kodi just giggled and went with it, despite still being incredibly worried, "Okay, okay. Go to sleep then."

Gryph looked at him with dopey eyes, "Lub you." He managed to croak out, and Kodi gave him a smooch, "I love you too, you moron." Gryphon smiled and curled into him more, rapidly drifting off, "...night..." He mumbled vaguely.

Kodi grinned softly, closing his own eyes and wrapping around his lover more comfortably, "G'night, Gryph."

[Percie Hobbes]

22. Villain
TW: language, violence, very darkish, mentions of torture and drug use

If they wouldn’t love her the least they could do was fear her.

Remle took a drag off her nearly spent cigarette and flicked the ashes onto the pier as a cloud of smoke erupted from her mouth languidly. Red lips pursed in irriation as the man kneeling in front of her shivered and whimpered. He’d been screaming yesterday until Remle had ordered his mouth sewn shut. She pressed the tip of the silencer against his head and put her finger on the trigger.

"Ma’am?" the quiet voice of her stalwart valet, Joseph gave her pause. "Boss is calling."

"What does he want?" she wondered casually before pulling the trigger. There was a quiet, high-pitched ‘ping’ before the body slumped towards the water, blood and other evidence ebbing away with the gentle lapping of the waves.

"He’d like to see you as soon as possible," the valet continued as Remle signaled for a boat waiting just off shore to come and get the body. "Shall I tell him we’re on our way?"

"Tell him I’ll be there in thirty minutes,’"she ordered as she watched the men in front of her load the body into a bag and start to clean any evidence left behind on the dock.

"One other thing, he wants to know if you’ve seen Marcus anywhere?"

Remle couldn’t help the smirk that stretched into a dark smile. "Tell him that Marcus just left.’"She heard Joseph speak into the phone before she signaled the boat to be on its way. "Don’t screw up!" she warned acidly as they nodded timidly. They knew the price for their indiscretion or failure was to share a similar fate.

Once the boat was out of sight, Remle deconstructed the shadow barrier that had been shielding them from prying eyes. She was starting to feel the tell-tale signs of exhaustion but knew that she needed to remain awake and alert for what was to happen next. She got into the car and slumped against the back of the seat, closing her eyes to try and get some sleep before they arrived. Joseph said nothing and drove with speed and accuracy back towards the city as the first rays of dawn began to lighten the eastern sky.

She napped lightly the entire time they drove, waking instantly once Joseph pulled to a smooth stop in front of a night club that was still busy with morning quickly approaching. Remle smoothed her charcoal grey suit as another valet opened her door and helped her step out. She was ushered past a line of snarky, disappointed club hopefuls and up a set of stairs marked 'private'. She nodded a greeting to the body guards outside the door and entered without knocking, knowing she'd be expected and frankly, nothing shocked her anymore.

'The Boss' was a man in his 50's named Hank who liked to pretend that he was much younger. He surrounded himself with girls young enough to be his daughters and kept them happy by buying them expensive presents and drugs. He greeted Remle with a particuarily toothy smile.

"I know what you've been up to Remle...'"he tsked as he sat up, pushing the two girls who'd been attending to him off to the side. Remle flicked looks in their direction as they rose to their feet and stood behind Hank. "Marcus told me everything. About how you've been recruiting behind my back. I started this shit from the ground up missy, who do you think you are? Fucking little whore? I took you in!"

Remle said nothing as Hank leaned back and grabbed at his wine glass in irritation. "You've been had, but I'm a forgiving man..." he snapped his fingers and smirked as the two body guards from before entered the room and stood beside Remle. "How about, you tell me why you think you're better than me and if it's good enough, I'll kill you myself." He leaned back and sighed involuntarily as the women he'd been with earlier tangled their arms around his neck and shoulders.

Remle flicked another look at the girls and side-eyed the guards beside her. She brushed some lint off her suit and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "Well," she began with a casual air, hands finding their way into her suit jacket before producing her gun.

"HEY!" Hank looked bewildered now and...trapped. He seemed to suddenly realize that the girls were not just trying to cuddle him...they were pinning him down.

"I'm better than you because..." She moved closer and pressed the silencer against his temple with a disquieting grin. "Frankly, I'm scarier." She pulled the trigger and watched the body go slack. "Clean this up," she ordered.

"Yes Ma'am," the chorus of voices greeted her as the body guards and the girls got to work. The door opened and Joseph walked in.

"Call someone to redecorate in here, it's hideous."

"Yes Ms. Boyd," came the crisp, expected answer.

Yeeess, she may not be loved...but fear was just as good. Fear was predictable, fear was workable. She smirked to herself and sauntered out of the office into the frenzy of the club below. Jospeh followed obediantly behind. "Take me home, I'm exhausted and we've a lot to do tomorrow."

"Yes Ma'am."

Yes. She could play this villain role very well, like she was born for it and when the city was on its knees at her feet, begging for mercy maybe then she'd find a way to turn that fear into devotion. But first there must be sleep because when she woke it would be her first day as the head of the largest crime syndicate in the States and there was a lot left to do.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

19. Helping Hand.

It was late. Or early. Or somewhere in that hectic mix of the two. Despite the time for which she didn't search, Lucy found herself waking up. It wasn't a soft or gentle or generously timed movement into a conscious state; it was rapid. So fast that she hadn't even taken the time to naturally gravitate away from her counterpart as she did in such moments. She was there, her cheek pressed against the psychometrist's shoulder, an arm draped around her waist and legs perfectly tangled together. Her eyes refused to open. Rather, she crinkled her nose and held then shut tightly.

It was cold. Freezing, even. No, not even that. It was below freezing, and that was the point.

Dark eyes fluttered open, but she pressed herself completely against the Brit who kept her so warm. At least as warm as she absolutely could be. Even under the sheets of the bed they shared, she was feeling it. After all, she was naked. She couldn't remember the last time she'd actively slept with clothes on in the first place, and now she was wishing she had.

Which was difficult, considering she handled the weather just fine.

When she was done being jealous of the fact, she made her first move.

But the second Lucy tried to ease her hand away, it was taken. Familiar fingers wrapped her hand and pulled it closer to her chest. She couldn't help the smile that caught her lips at the knee-jerk reaction her fiancée was giving her. With it, she felt the cool air of the room itself brush against the exposed skin of her back where the blankets had gently fallen away, but she made no move to cover herself. Because her hand was completely taken, and Lucy had little desire to take it back. Simply put, she couldn't.So she pressed herself in closer - as close as she absolutely, positively could - in order to soak up any residual warmth she might have been missing out on.

And then she moved again. Penny loosened her hold on Lucy's hand, dragging herself towards the edge of the single bed they shared. It wasn't a lengthy movement, but it still left the Australian out in the proverbial cold as the edge of the blanket drew away with her. Instantly, Lucy felt more lost than she had when she first woke up. And she cursed the arrangement they had where she was closest to the wall despite the fact that that was how it'd always been. How it would continue to always be.

Out in the cold in freezing months. Great.

Except that moments later, the flannel shirt previously stripped from her form flung over her counterpart's body and landed on her instead. Dark eyed went a little wide at its sudden appearance, or perhaps it was the idea that pressing herself in close in the first place had woken the psychometrist up.

Slowly, Lucy hauled herself up in order to sit. She took her time sliding her arms into the familiar sleeves for fear that any sudden move would jostle Penny further. She'd already woken her up once, and she felt a little bad for that, so making it worse wasn't an option. So she was slow, poignant to drag her second arm through and stagger a short series of buttons closed. They were wrong - she could tell without even looking - but at least she was nearly done.

"Hurry up, Lucy."

Frozen. Stagnant hands gripped the last button she was going to bother with. A delicate tone despite the obvious irritation behind being woken up.

Or was that genuine concern she edged into her demand?

"It's getting cold."

[Georgina Speer]

#97 - Name
Word Count: 500

George had returned to England a couple days ago, for the holidays. It was something she did on a semi-regular basis, with funding from her parents, who she would stay with until she went back. Today, she was walking the London streets, her old yellow twine hat atop her head. She’d had to replace the purple ribbon around it last year, as it had gotten a bit too frayed and damaged to wear. The hat in itself showed a lot of wear and tear but she did like it a lot. She remembered the day it had been given to her, the day before she had left for Hammel. It was by a boy that she never caught the name of. George had almost forgotten the meeting between the pair of them had occurred, all those years back, thanks to the amnesia caused by her lack of power control, but luckily, she didn’t. It was a cherished memory. That boy seemed sweet.

She didn’t have much on her mind to do today. She just wanted to get accustomed to the city streets again - people acted differently here, in London, than in Pilot Ridge. She kept forgetting that. She made occasional eye contact and smiled to a few, ducking under the cover of a doughnut cart. The smell was intoxicating, she couldn’t help getting a bag of the sugar-dusted rings. She paid and waited for them to be made, bouncing on her toes a little. It was still kind of cold, but she could manage. She was just impatient.

Someone else approached the cart, someone around her age, and eyed her curiously - she was used to that. George knew that she acted oddly sometimes, and it drew attention to herself. But that wasn’t the reason the boy was staring. He kept looking between her face and her hat. George frowned and looked at him, “Can I help?”

“Georgina?”

George blinked. She wasn’t called by her proper name a lot nowadays. She nodded slowly, recognition gently gleaming in her eyes, “Yeah…?” Her eyes narrowed, as the boy’s lit up and he giggled to himself. She couldn’t help smiling, he was acting like he was twelve… years old… Her thoughts were interrupted by an impatient cough from the cart owner, who was holding out a bag for her. She took it quickly and thanked him, and the boy bought his own bag. Instead of leaving, George waited. She blinked a couple times, and the boy introduced himself, “I’m Dominick.” He said, with a crooked smile which gave George another wave of nostalgia, “Dominick Trickett.”

George frowned, “Wait…” she muttered, “...you gave me this hat, right?” She said, pointing at said hat. The lanky boy nodded, still smiling to himself, taking the bag from the vendor as it was offered. He began walking and Georgina followed, “You never told me your name that day.”

The boy considered this, clearly a little confused, before shrugging and smiling again, “Well… you know it now.”

[Gryphon Matsuoka]

#38 - Health
Word Count: 1294

Osteoporosis was a pretty rough condition to have for life, but Gryph felt it was worth it, a small sacrifice so that he could keep his wings and be able to fly. He just had to be careful, but… being delicate wasn’t his forte exactly, not even when dancing sometimes. You had to have balance and strength, control and certainty. Gryphon had these most times, but he was a little clumsy by nature. This gave him problems. Multiple problems. He’d broken bones twice from dancing, sprained ankles and wrists multiple times as well. Burns, bruises, concussions, cuts, he’d had them all. He was a walking disaster. It was a wonder he hadn’t got stuck in a wheelchair at some point. Some injuries were worse than others. Some weren’t caused by him (but most were).

The first noticeable injury he had ever had was when he was six. Bikes were death traps.

---------------------

July 28th, 2001 - Age 6 - Broken Arm
“It seems his bones are a lot more brittle than they should be for a boy his age,” The doctor explained, looking at the x-rays of Gryphon’s arm as the boy sat there with Fiona by his side, his right arm in a heavy cast, a sling over his shoulder, holding the injured limb safely in place. Fi kept a hand over his, quietly fiddling with his fingers as the doctor spoke, very concerned. The man spoke again, “In fact, his bone structure is rather… odd. His bones are far thinner than they should be, a lot less dense.” The doctor seemed very concerned by this. He turned his attention to Fiona after having regarded the small boy kicking his legs about, waiting impatiently, not fully understanding the situation, “...this gives me reason to believe he has early onset osteoporosis.” He began writing out a prescription and handed it over to Fi, “Try to get this medication as soon as possible, and please keep an eye on him, to make sure he doesn’t hurt himself much more.”

The doctor developed a bit more of a baby voice for the child, “Gryphon, you’ve got a very important task.” His eyes glittered with the possibilities and he nodded in understanding. The man continued, “Your body is very special, so you have to be extra careful when you do anything. Casts are annoying, aren’t they?” Gryph pouted and nodded again, looking at his sling, his legs swinging again. “So if you’re careful, you won’t need the silly casts. Understand?” Gryphon nodded for a final time, and stood when Fiona did. Before they left, the doctor spoke once again, “I’m going to refer you to a rheumatologist. From there, we can work on how to treat this condition. Hopefully we can find a cause.” Because it was odd for a perfectly healthy, happy little boy to have developed such a condition.

---------------------

After that, the injuries rolled in a little more regularly than the doctors probably wanted them too, but as healthy as he tried to be, Gryph was an active boy. He wasn’t about to sit around and do nothing - besides, that was against what the doctors wanted anyway. Physical activity was supposed to strengthen the bones against any possible damage. The fact that that activity was, more than half of the time, the cause of the injuries, felt a bit unavoidable. Once he manifested, though, it finally made sense. Why his body was so light - it was so he could fly. Didn’t make the condition any easier to deal with, though.

---------------------

May 2nd, 2009 - Age 14 - Broken Arm, Wing and Hip
Gryphon whined in pain, clutching his arm, not wanting to sit up or move in general. It all really hurt, and so did his wing. He couldn’t see it, but some of the bones were obviously damaged on the side he’d landed on - his right. He’d made some new friends, and once they had found out that he had wings and could ‘fly’, they wanted to see. With unfounded confidence, Gryph had taken off, but struggled to control his wings and get them to move as he wanted, as well as not really knowing what he was doing or how to fly in the first place. He felt fueled by the thrilling fact that he had a meta power to use, and that it was so awesome; he forgot that he didn’t know how to use it until he found himself crashing towards the ground, landing heavily on his right side, and falling into this predicament.

One of the people who had been watching had gone off to get a teacher, who was now watching over him, after having called an ambulance and the residing doctor at Hammel. She had asked Gryphon what had happened and he’d reluctantly spoken, not enjoying the pain one bit. He knew she was trying to distract him, otherwise she would have asked one of the spectators instead of him. A few minutes later, he was being loaded into an ambulance and was given laughing gas for the pain - he was vaguely used to this procedure. He just hoped he wouldn’t need surgery this time.

---------------------

Broken arms were a pain, yes, but at least he could still fly. Broken wings were almost impossible to deal with, because they had to be very well supported, since the bones were tiny and fragile, and that made doing things like walking through doorways an absolute pain - but at least when his wing was broken, he hadn’t started flying yet. After developing the ability enough to actually be able to do so confidently, when he couldn’t fly, it was like… being weaned off of a drug - because flying was addicting. The freedom, the fresh air, the distance. You could get places other people couldn’t, you had the ability to swerve and glide through the air with ease (most days) and do whatever. So when you had that addiction and then you did something like… I don’t know… break your leg, and the cast was too heavy to fly with… it was a bit maddening, simply.

---------------------

August 16th, 2011 - Age 16 - One Week After Breaking Leg
“Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick.” Gryphon whined, pining for attention from his friend. The cryokinetic rolled his eyes, “Okay, okay,” He complained in return, turning back around to help his winged friend, who was sat resting against the same tree he’d fallen out of a week ago. He held out his arm so Gryph could use it as a support to get up from the ground. The fragile boy balanced on his good leg as Nick grabbed his crutches off the ground and handed them over, “You better start healing quicker,” He ordered, “I don’t have the time to keep babysitting you.” Gryph pouted, “But Niiiiick…”

The older boy started chuckling at Gryphon’s childish whining, “Acting like a kid will get you nowhere.” Gryph stuck out his tongue, hobbling alongside the curly haired boy, “It’s not like I can help having a broken leg.” Nick scoffed, “Maybe not jumping out of that tree would have helped it.”

“....shut up.”

Nick laughed at his reply, ruffling Gryphon’s hair, much to the taller boy’s disdain, as he tried to shake his hair into some kind of neatness again, without it really working. “You’re a terrible friend,” He whined as they slowly walked back to the dorms. Nick shrugged his shoulders, “If I’m so terrible, why are you here still?”

“........shut up.”

---------------------

But despite all the annoyance it caused him, Gryph still didn’t really work with his osteoporosis. Sometimes it got in the way and sometimes it didn’t, nowadays. If he still felt healthy in heart and mind, then a few broken bones were nothing.

[Devon Wentsworth]

84. Killing
Devon Wentsworth, aged 14.

Warning: Vague descriptions of animal death.


It was his first Christmas home from Kosher, and Devon was thrilled. He hadn't seen his mum or brother in what felt like an eternity, and it had taken more than ten minutes before Cade and Lorraine had been able to peel him off them. The first few days at home had been awesome and full of minced pies and take-out (GOD he had missed kebabs while he was in Switzerland), but he had been desperately looking forward to going to Uncle Keith's farm. The man was a rotten old fart and they couldn't let him know about Devon's new superpower, of course, but he had an actual FARM! With cows and sheep and everything. To a fourteen year old kid who'd grown up in the centre of Leeds, getting to run around a farm for a few days was the most exciting prospect ever!

Eventually the big day had come, and the boys had behaved on the first day like they had been told to. Keith grumped about the weather and the foot and mouth and the roads, as he always did, but Devon managed to be good and humour him and keep his trap shut. That was the rule Lorraine always set; be good and polite on the first day, then you can run and play like a crazed baboon on the other days. Considering just how much of a habit Devon had always made in the past of climbing things and falling from them, 'crazed baboon' was a fairly apt description.

Cade had long outgrown running around and playing on the farm, but he hadn't seen his little brother properly in months and as dawn broke on their second day at the farm, he was quick to agree to Devon's suggestion for hide and seek. The brothers wolfed down their breakfasts before bundling up in their jackets and heading outside. A light snow was falling, the ground dappled with patches of the dark earth showing through the thin white blanket, and it would probably be gone before the sun set. They had to make the most of it while they could. When Cade volunteered to seek first Devon nodded quickly, scuttling off to find a hiding spot before Cade managed to count up to the thirty they had agreed upon.

Of course, there had been no rule set about what shape Devon had to be in while he was hiding. That meant it wasn't cheating if he shifted, right? Quickly bolting inside one of the barns, Devon threw off his jacket and hid it behind a hay bale before shifting into his polecat form, leaving the rest of his clothing in a pile as he burrowed out of the shirt to freedom. The polecat was small and skinny and could hide anywhere, and Devon crept out of the barn and wiggled into a gap in a log pile. He had never felt so clever; Cade would NEVER find him here in a hundred years! He was chuckling softly to himself, the sound coming out of his polecat shape as a quiet chattering noise, but unfortunately Cade didn't find him before something else did.

The first moment Devon realised he wasn't alone was when he felt a searing pain cutting into the side of his shoulder. He let out a shriek of agony, trying to leap away from the source of the pain but it was unrelenting. He turned his head to see what it was, and was horrified to see a huge rat clamped to his side. Shrieking in combined fear and agony, in a panic he began tearing at the rat that was almost the same size as him, claws slicing through the monstrous creatures fur and teeth like hypodermic needles sinking into its flesh. The taste was foul and made him gag horribly, but he kept biting and tearing and doing everything he could to try and get the thing off him. The rat was likewise tearing into him, teeth slicing through his flesh, and it was all Devon could do to hang on with his own teeth and not let go to scream.

He was in so much pain and was literally fighting for his life, and Devon was not aware of the logs around him being moved out of the way. It was only a few long moments after the rat had stopped moving that Devon realised it wasn't hanging on to him any more, that he could let go. He was still shrieking in pain and trying to work out what was happening when he felt himself getting lifted, the stench of blood in his nose being joined by a smell that was so much more familiar and comforting, and Devon let himself be carried away from the scene of chaos by his brother.

Cade carried Devon into the barn before gently placing him down on the hay bale and stroking softly down his side. The older brother spoke, his voice shaking slightly. “Hey, it's over. You can change back now, yeah?”

Devon was quivering like a leaf in a hurricane, but gave a small nod. Thirty seconds later and the now-human Devon was sitting on the hay bale, taking his clothes when Cade offered them to him. Fine lines of blood were trickling down his arm from the rat bite on his shoulder, and he cringed when he looked at them. “Is it... Is it dead? Did you kill it?”

Cade gave a small nod. “Yeah... Yeah, I crushed it with one of the logs...” Cade looked down at his hands as though he'd never seen them before, the seventeen year old's face etched with a look of disbelief and horror that Devon had never seen before. “I've never killed anything. Never... Not even a spider...”

For a long moment both boys sat in silence, taking in what had just happened. Slowly Devon put his clothes back on, before sitting back down next to Cade and wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug. “Thank you for saving me.”

Cade smiled softly, placing a kiss into Devon's hair as he returned the hug. Playing on farms was definitely over-rated. Maybe next year Devon would be old enough to want to stay inside and play video games or something. He just hoped he wouldn't have nightmares about what he had just done. “Yeah... Come on, let's head back in. You'll probably need to get some shots after that bite. We'll tell mum you were just hiding behind a hay bale and it jumped on you, yeah?”

Nodding in agreement, Devon hugged Cade until the older Wentsworth finally managed to prise him off him so they could head back inside, the snow still falling softly around them as though nothing had ever happened.

[Percie Hobbes]

32. Mirror

badly written fluff ~ enjoy

Thanks Sky for letting me borrow Dakota~

"Kota, how do I look?" Remle asked as she stepped out of her immense closet and spread her arms so her lover of too many years to count eyed her critically.

"Hold on," the werewolf said as he stood and walked predatorily towards her. The vampiress stood still as he reached out and tugged at her indigo dress until he was satisfied

"My breasts are going to pop out!" she protested.

"And that would be bad how?" he asked with a grin as his tail began to wag.

"You want everyone to see them?" she teased as she tugged the strapless dress up a bit more.

Dakota's ears laid back for a moment and he whined, "Well no but I would like to see them!"

"You saw them earlier!"

"Yeah but you weren't in the mood then!"

"You were!" she shot back with a little shrieak when her lover wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled the crook of her neck.

"How could I not be with such a foxy vampiress tempting me so early in the evening?" he asked.

"You're incorigable, let's go or we'll be late for the party, and you KNOW how Arlene gets when people are late."

"Hmm, coming," Kota smirked as he watched her walk out ahead of him.

Later that evening...

Remle made happy noises as she danced with Kota. When she'd fed throughout the night it had been on guests who'd had more than a little too much to drink and now she was more than a little tispy herself. That was the nature of these get-togethers that her friends enjoyed holding from time to time. When a slow, romantic song had begun to play on the small dance floor, Remle hadn't hesitated to drag her lover onto the floor in order to dance with him.

"Koooota! Tell me again!" she suddenly insisted, face tilted up eagerly towards his.

The werewolf smiled indulgently as his tail twitched languidly back and forth. He leaned his head down and gently kissed below her ear before continuing. "Whenever you feel like the world is falling in on you and you’re losing whatever sense of yourself that you have…I will tell you how beautiful you are, how much I love you and I hope the truth in my eyes will be the mirror you need to see the truth of yourself…”

Remle made a happy little squeak and set her head on his shoulder as the music continued. They were the same words he’d spoken to her many, many years ago at the start of their relationship together. Even now after all this time she knew she could trust him to be honest and straightforward with her.

When she’d first been transformed into a vampire so many, many years ago the loss of her reflection hadn’t bothered her until one day, an impertinent werewolf had come across her in a pub and called her beautiful. She’d avoided contact with others for so long that his comments had taken her by surprise and frankly, she hadn’t been very kind to him. She’d been so flustered that she’d fled to her home and forgot in her discomfort that she could no longer view the face that had been called beautiful moments before. In rage and despair she’d shattered every mirror in her home and hid there.

When she’d next seen the werewolf she was met with the same compliment and it had led to impassioned demands of “how?” and “why?” which had led to a date…and then another date…and yet another until…finally, sensing that Remle was vulnerable and searching for answers that would sustain her for essentially the rest of her life, Kota had reassured her with his words. It wasn’t long after that until the two began to cohabitate together. There was only one mirror in the house now, for Dakota’s use but it didn’t matter because Remle knew that she could trust him to tell her that she was beautiful and loved. He never failed to convince her that the love reflected towards her in his eyes was genuine, which only make it that much easier to love him back.

[Jesse Adams]

82. Panic

Over the past few days, Jesse had been on a steady cocktail of pain medication and sedatives. He’d also learned just how terrifying a full blown anxiety attack could really be. He had been escalating from the moment he had been physically moved from the stairwell to the infirmary, and from the second he’d been told that he had torn his knee ligaments to the point that surgery would be needed to correct it, he’d been on the edge.

On the drive to Maddock, Jesse had bartered, begged, and pleaded to just turn around and go back. He’d do anything. Yard work, detention, bed rest, anything. Unfortunately, it had all fallen on deaf ears, and he’d been brought in pale, his hands shaking, and none of it had had to do with his injury.

During his admit he’d continued to deal with the fact that his heart was racing, he was sweating yet feeling so, so cold, and his breathing was so fast and hard it felt like he’d just run five miles. Still, he kept his head.

It wasn’t until he was alone, his Hammel escort gone, that he had lost it. The surgeon had come to talk to him about the procedure. He hadn’t touched him, hadn’t really done more than introduce himself and begin to detail the surgical procedure, when Jesse inhaled sharply and tried to bolt from the bed. His knee gave out almost instantly, but that didn’t stop him. Scrambling on the slick floor, he felt physically ill. The sudden grab for him didn’t help matters as the doctor tried to stop him. The blond boy yelped at the touch and jerked away, cold shudders rolling down his back. He needed to get out of there.

A combination of one rough and tumble nurse and two security guards begged to differ. One minute he was making his way painfully slowly to the exit, and the next he had been effectively flattened in the hall. He fought it, but a small pinch in his arm had him subdued in moments. Apparently, he’d come with a warning label from Hammel, but no one had actually expected him to try and run away. As he’d lain in the hall, eyelids drooping from the medication, his gaze was still loosely fixed on the exit. He’d been so close.

For the first time in days, Jesse felt clearheaded. He didn’t like being in the hospital any more than he had days ago, but now it was a lot harder to get anywhere in a hurry. His knee was thickly bandaged, and it was starting to ache. His whole body hurt, but that was probably mostly due to the fact he hadn’t moved in days. He just wanted to get out of there, but that clearly wasn’t happening anytime soon. Shifting carefully onto his side, he turned his back to the door of the room. The walls were boring, and no one else was currently occupying the room. Probably out of fear he’d say or do something to them. Like he could actually move or think long enough to accomplish it. What a joke.

Something bright on the nightstand caught his attention. A small but colorful vase with flowers stood there, accompanied by an obnoxiously bright yellow teddy bear. Jesse scowled at it, but reached for it regardless. Whoever in the hell had given it to him was going to get it thrown right back at them. ... Unless it was Clement, but he doubted it had been the kid.

Around the neck was a blue ribbon and a small card. The blond tore the card from the ribbon and looked it over. A familiar feeling of dread swept over him, and his spiked heart rate caused a nearby machine to wail out a warning cry. The bear was thrown to the floor, the card floating slowly behind it. The vase was swept off of the stand with a quick lash of his hand, the glass smashing on the tiled floor.

Two nurses hurried in, both somewhat alarmed by the situation. One went to check the machine, while the other came around to his side, stepping around the mess carefully. “Jesse? What’s wrong? Can you tell me what happened?” Jesse just looked up at her, shaking his head.

“Nothing.” He closed his eyes. “Just a dream.” She looked dubious, but after a quick vitals check, everything seemed to either normal, or heading that way.

“Okay. I’ll come back in a bit and check on you again. Do you need anything?” Another head shake. “All right then. We’ll have someone take care of the mess, as well.” She offered a gentle smile before stooping and retrieving the bear from the puddle of water and glass, setting it back on the nightstand for him.

The moment they were gone, the bear was shoved behind the nightstand in the hopes that no one would give it back. The card on the ground was a lost cause, the water from the vase causing the ink to run, but it didn’t matter. The words were burned into his mind now.

Get well soon, Jess.

Love,
Dad

[James Lawrence]

63. Notice

Leaning up against the lockers, James was surrounded by a group of his peers, as always. Even though they were off to the side, somehow, the group managed to still be the center of attention in the halls of the institute. Other students watched, some with envious glances and others with an air of contempt. You either wanted to be them, or anything but. There was no in between. They were the kids with their heads held high, backs straight, an aura of confidence that overwhelmed and choked the rest of the hallway.

He stood near the center, the laughter and whispers of his friends lost on James. He had the capability to listen to everything, but in that moment, he heard nothing. It was all background noise to the teenager. His eyes tracked along the movement outside of their circle, searching for someone.

It was routine. Everyday was the same. At this time, James would divert his attention outside of the circle, dark eyes wandering for a glimpse of brown hair. That's all he would get. If he wasn't paying close enough attention, then the moment would pass, and he had to wait until the next day.
And repeat. Once she was out of focus, then James moved on with the day.

No matter how hard she tried to hide, he noticed. He always did.

James never said a word though. Somehow, his friends never realized that for that minute, his mind was elsewhere. His gaze on someone else, someone unassuming, from outside of the circle. Never noticed that the loudest voice hushed, then came back as if nothing happened. As if he never stopped talking.

One day was different. Same time. James ran a hand through his hair, nodding absentmindedly to a conversation about the latest rock albums and how a new cashier at the local convenience store was a dick and always checked for id's. Dark eyes scanned the hall, searching for someone. For her.

Her timing was impeccable; an art she had mastered completely. Always alone, always walking away from the crowd. Head down; the only reason James had gotten away with staring for so long.

Before he could filter his action, the long haired boy took a step forward. His friends stopped mid conversation, and it was impossible for James not to realize that the entire world right there had come to a stop. Because of one step. She was walking by now, at a rapid pace. He had enough time to confront her; the girl who left him in the middle of the hall with a stunned expression. The girl who questioned his actions. The girl who heard more about him than the people standing around him now. 

Ella.

Breathing out sharply, his hand moved deftly to his pocket, where a new pack of cigarettes resided. James' eyes turned away from her, back to several pairs of curious eyes. "Smoke break." He answered, as if to answer a question nobody asked. One glance back, and she was gone, but the name still burned the back of his throat. There were a few mumbles before conversations resumed, as if nothing had happened. James took another step forward, walking in the opposite direction.

Maybe another day he'd confront her.

[Percie Hobbes]

18. Fatality
TW: Death, Blood, and Violence
(this is canon in that it involves Percie’s regular dreams)

“Alright ma’am, if you remember anything else or need to reach me or my partner, this is our extension at the precinct,” Detective Percie Hobbies said as she handed the woman they had been questioning a business card before she and her partner Mark, bid her good day and turned to head back to Percie’s car.

“What are you doing after work?” Mark asked casually as they piled into the car that had just had its air conditioner fixed a week prior. “Janet and the kids would love to see you,” he hinted.

“You just like that I babysit your kids and you offer me free food in return,” she laughed.

Before Mark could answer there was a voice over their radio requesting back up at a hostage situation not very far from their current location. “We’re on our way,” he said instead of whatever he meant to say. The two sped a few blocks over and fished their bullet proof vests out of the trunk and went to receive instructions from the supervisor in charge of the situation,

“Hobbes, cover that guy, Withers, give her backup.” the supervisor ordered her and her partner, as she carefully held her gun down and stood next to the hostage negotiator. She kept an eye on the gunman who was nervously eyeing her and made a show of pretending to turn her safety off as she and the negotiator moved into position. The hostage negotiator began to talk, asking the guy what his name was, what sort of demands he had to make. Then, somewhere close by, a car from the next street over backfired. Chaos erupted as the skittish gunman opened fire. Percie had stepped in front of the hostage negotiator to return fire when pain ripped through her shoulder, just to the right of the vest she was wearing.

She gasped for breath as the world slowed around her. There was the ringing of shots being fired around her, she tried to take a breath but it was so difficult, there was a ring of black crashing down on her as her life ebbed away…the last thing she felt was her blood trickling along the ground behind her head, soaking her hair. Her last thought was disbelief….how could it end this way? Her eyes remained open…her heart stopped beating…by the time the paramedics were able to get to her it was too late…

Percie woke up screaming.