Land of confusion [open]

[Lucas Blacke]

His car, his house, the visit he made to his parents and the talking they did about everything and nothing, the direction Luke was going to take in school and why which he was sure he wouldn't be able to answer if they had asked him a few weeks or months earlier. Heb had no idea right up until his introductory day at his new school after he had impressed some of the guys (and girls) with his loud and awesome new car, which he was going to get some things for. Or at least browse the mall a bit like he had done before with a few people. He never saw any of them anymore though, and the only one he actually wanted to take to the mall was.. well, her.

..he needed to get his mind away from that specific person for a bit even if his thoughts had begun on some other topic entirely. There were moments where thinking about certain people just plain hurt instead of anything else. Weirdly almost everyone he had ever met did that to his mind and he was sure most of that was his own fault, if not all of it. At this rate he would need to have a lobotomy to be able to live a normal life.. or some telepath to block off part of his mind or something.

Anyway, Lucas was in his car and underway to the mall to get some new things as his mind took him places he didn't want to go. Perhaps he didn't need new things to get his mind off of it but new people to help him get through it all. Problem was, he knew next to no one. Yeah, Karalie, but he was sure she didn't want to see him right now and it was a bit too soon to ask her for coffee again. There were other people, but he had no intention of asking them since he had probably fucked up with all of them. And beside them he had no one else, not even back in Hammel.

..maybe it was time for a bit of a wardrobe change or something. Thing was, Luke had no idea what to go for, and if the mall was even a good place to specifically shop for.. whatever it was he needed. Maybe he needed a psychiatrist to get through what he was experiencing, lord knew that the people helping him in the past didn't do much good.

Perhaps that new bit of wealth he had gotten would help him in some way, he just had no idea how to spend it yet.

[Elanora Brennan]

Nora sat at the lights indicating to turn into the shopping mall, she had been lazing around her mums house that morning when she realized she needed new art supplies and once she started at the uni it would be a full week before she could get to the mall to pick some up. So she had pulled herself up off the lounge room floor where she had been laying playing with her phone and headed out the door.

Finally the light blinked to green allowing her to turn and she took off from her standstill at the front of the line maneuvered her motorbike expertly into the parking lot of the mall. Pulling up into one of the motorbike bays toward the front she killed the engine and climbed off resting the bike on its side stand. Once she had her jacket and gloves stowed away in the saddle bag, her purse sling over her shoulder and her helmet tucked under her arm she headed for the entrance thrilled that so far she couldn’t sense any other Meta humans around.

Unfortunately her glee was short lived, she was wandering through the center heading for the craft store she knew was up ahead when she felt an all too familiar sensation start in her mind, it was like a pulsing at the back of her eyes and she knew she had walked into range of a Meta though they were still far enough away she couldn’t pick up specifics just yet.

She glanced around as she continued to walk she could feel the person growing closer and the thrumming behind her eyes increased as they did, it wasn’t too bad yet though just a nagging thing nothing like the headaches and migraines she sometimes got.

She spotted him ahead a few store fronts distance and walking her way around the same time she picked out what his power was, assumed muscle memory. She had heard of this power but had never known anyone personally who had it. She stopped looking at him with a curious expression not wanting to approach but also not even thinking how strange she might look to him or anyone else as she stopped dead in the shopping center and stared.

[Lucas Blacke]

Now, he did have plenty of ideas of what to get, like maybe a new sound system or something.. he would just pack the entire thing with gadgets and such. People riding with him? They could use the passenger seats. Luke knew exactly where to go at that point, and his ability would help him in installing it as he would just have to pull up a video of it and he'd know what to do. His ability never ceased to amaze him like this, still showing him new stuff and such.. like how alcohol affected him and pretty much took away the drunk, but sadly not the hangover that followed so he usually steered clear of any type of alcohol.

But enough of that, he was at the mall with a new-found mission; getting stuff for his car, which was still something he was very happy with and would not hesitate to tell anyone who would listen. Sadly he lacked people like that around him, he did have a few but those were.. well.. not really talking material at the time.

It was sad that he lacked people to talk with in this time of newfound joy and wealth, especially so since he had the really strong urge to share his wealth instead of keeping it for himself. They hadn't particularly stated so but Lucas was sure his parents would agree with that statement, although he didn't yet know in what way they would agree. And as much as his brain tried to think of a way he would always come up with ''only you can spend that money like a loser.'', mindsets remained, he supposed.

But then his mind was pulled back to recent times as he noticed people around him staring at him. Staring at him? What had he done to warrant that this time? Had he stepped in dog shit or something? Which would be very odd seeing as the whole mall was indoors, respect for the dog who managed to take a dump there.

No, surely they were looking at something else? Luke wondered what though and just followed what everyone was looking at and turned around to view what was behind him. It was then that his jaw unhinged a bit. It was red, and that was all he really noticed. Well, that and the fact it was a girl.

His face gained a smile as he closed his mouth and began walking in the direction of the red one. Major points even before saying anything to him, and here Luke wasn't even sure he was the one she was looking at! But someone that red deserved a chance, he figured.

''I know, I know, I'm awesome. Take a picture, it'll last longer.'' He joked as he got within a range wherein he didn't have to talk so loud to be heard. ''Though I can do a bit more than a picture can.. might I suggest ya take me home instead?''

[Elanora Brennan]

Nora realized too late how strange she looked just standing there staring at this stranger, she snapped out of her weird staring trance when she realized he was headed straight for her. 'Well Hell' she muttered under breath adjusting her hold on her bike helmet in a fidgety manner as she glanced around everywhere but at the advancing guy looking for an escape route, she didn't feel like being yelled at today.

She wondered if she could quickly duck into the store next to her and lose herself in the crowd of shoppers in there. She already knew that wouldn't work however because firstly it was a small little boutique shop that did not have crowds of shoppers merely four it would be a little difficult to go unnoticed in here, secondly her flame red hair stood out like a sore thumb. The final reason, well that was easy she was simply out of time the guy she had been staring at like a loser was practically right in front of her now.

Nora braced waiting for the yelling to start, it wasn't the first time she had a momentary lapse in social protocol and got chewed out for it. She was shocked however when although the words where what she expected the old take a picture why don't you routine, there was a smile on his face and his tone was nothing but joking. She began to smile slightly at this but then her helmet holding hand crossed over her other arm in an awkward crossed arms attempt and she scoffed a little at his next words.

"Confident aren't we? so do you ask all the strange girls to come home with you before even introducing yourself Mr Muscle Memory?" her voice wasn't stern it was kind of timid still and a little playful as she spoke herself, she didn't want to end up in a screaming match with a guy who decided to play around instead of yelling at her in the first place but she also wasn't about to swoon and go running home with him either.

She realized then that she hadn't actually paid and ounce of attention to what he looked like yes it's strange she was staring at the guy before but if you told her to close her eyes and describe him right now she would have said ummm... male... she looked at him now in an evasive kind of way not wanting to be caught staring again and sure he was attractive in a pretty boy kind of way not necessarily her type but you never knew maybe this could be her first friend since deciding to pull herself out of isolation. 

[Lucas Blacke]

He was almost positive he had seen her before somewhere.. and she commented on his ability without him saying anything about it so he was stuck assuming she attended Hammel at some point, maybe she was one of the people who could sense metas or something. Not that it wouldn't be cool or anything, scanning around for people with powers. But it seemed that aside from just feeling powers she could also pinpoint what kind of power it was, which was cool as balls but also slightly disappointing at the same time as it meant Lucas could no longer surprise her with something awesome.

The rest of her didn't go unnoticed though. It all looked.. amazing. But then again the female form did nothing but look amazing to him so there weren't any issues there, but what did grab his attention was that she was holding an helmet. So she rode bikes? That would be cool as fuck, and a good way to actually try to learn that stuff, which Lucas was convinced of he could do in one try if he could get her to take him somewhere once. And convincing girls.. well, he was very good at that. (Although he wasn't particularly happy with it)

''Confident is me middle name.'' He replied jokingly as he took a step back and bowed down in the way he always would when there was a girl present. ''Lucas 'confident' Blacke, at yer cervix.'' Luke joked, though with a smile as he looked her in the eyes before he popped back up.

He still wondered what he had done right to meet her, or to let her bump into him, as it were. Lucas was beginning to think that thing called karma was very real, that for every bad thing that happened to him there would be something good to happen to him as well. And boy, was she something good, even if just for his eyes.

''An' what's yer name, doll?''

[Elanora Brennan]

Nora knew from her power this guy was a meta and she knew what sort. that wasn't something she could do with everyone she had to know about the power and have been around it before to know its feeling. some people she just got a vague idea as to what their power could do. That got her thinking in the back of her mind if she had been around this guy before, maybe back at Hammel, she didn't really get to know anyone when she was there before graduating. She spent so much of her time either in the nurses office or keeping as far away from all the meta humans as she was allowed to try and still the headaches.

She didn't have long to try and ascertain if she did know him even in glancing as he was quick to continue the conversation, Lucas 'confident' Blacke huh, she tried to think back if she recalled his name from the yearbook she thought she did. Nora had to laugh out loud at the cervix joke, did he really just go there she thought as she giggled. 

Her giggling subsided when he called her doll, she didn't know why but she had always hated that term when used toward a girl, sure it was probably a near and dear sign of affection back in what the 70's but she just didn't like it.

"I'm Nora 'never call me doll' Brennan" she said brightly using his way of adding an ironic middle name to drop the hopefully all too clear hint that while she was happy to stay and chat if he called her doll again she might hit him with her helmet.

"So Lucas, what brings you out to the mall today? just looking to scam on some girls or do we have an actual mission to accomplish?" She asked thinking back to her own reason for being here.

[Lucas Blacke]

His joke was listened to with a laugh though it quickly faded when he called her doll. Some girls liked to be called that but the way this girl mentioned her name and did the middle name part like the Texan did she had made it pretty clear that she didn't like to be called that. Which was fine by Lucas, he had plenty of other names to call her by, anyway. ''Sure,'' He quickly responded though. ''No more doll.'' Lucas assured her.

It would be a fun little break for him anyway as that little nickname would just end up reminding him of certain people he was done being reminded of, his own mind just hadn't picked up on that before Nora mentioned she didn't like to be called that, reasons put aside obviously. Maybe in due time he would get the story behind that..

When she went on though something odd happened.. she accused him of trying to scam. Scam how? ''I ain't-'' He tried to impede but before he got any words in she was talking again and then suddenly said they were a them instead of two individual people who hadn't even formally met yet. There was a time in the life of the Texan where he would do his best to get a girl to say they were a them, and here Nora was just blurting it out like it was the most normal thing in the world.

''Are we a 'we' now?'' He asked with a smile. ''Not that I mind in th' least.''

[Elanora Brennan]

Nora smiled when he mentioned that he would stop calling her doll, at least he was quick to catch on even if he was a little too cocky for her liking. She had promised herself she would try to be more friendly and less cut off from the world so maybe this was a good start. Who knew behind the cocky attitude this Lucas might make a good friend. She stifled a giggle when he tried to deny scamming on the ladies, a grin lighting up her features, green eyes sparkling with true happiness.

At his next words her face reddened and her face went into that of shock and before long she was the one back peddling on her words. "I didn't... That's not..." she stumbled over the words in her rush to make sure he didn't think she had the wrong idea about anything. She just wasn't good at this whole communication thing anymore and she always referred to things as we when she was talking to someone she didn't know why exactly it was just something she had always done, maybe she needed to be more careful about that.

She stood for a moment while all that ran through her head still stuttering before she took a calming breath still not totally rejecting that original thought to run. No she told herself firmly she would try to be more social she would! "Sorry I didn't mean it like that, its just how I talk I guess sorry, its none of my business anyway you can totally go on doing your thing and I'll go do mine, just because you came to talk to me doesn't mean you have to stay and hang around all day or ..." she made herself stop she was rambling like a nervous crazy person.

She shifted her helmet into her other hand and looked down glancing subtly for the best exit strategy feeling like a total social catastrophe at that moment, she was so embarrassed she hadn't even heard his statement about not minding in the least, and she was certain her pale skin was probably as red as her hair in that moment.

[Lucas Blacke]

Well that could have gone better.. she denied every claim to them being a 'we', and it seemed to Luke that he was right back at the drawing board right then. Not that he minded as he only just met the girl, there would be plenty of time to plant some seeds into that brain of hers, one of which had already been planted; doubt. He hoped it was, anyway. For him it had been, at least. That had always been one of his specialties, doubting everything and everyone and only really giving himself at pretty much a whims notice because of it.

It didn't help that Nora lacked a few.. tells he could use to figure her out, he could read her face and such, figure out what she was feeling when she looked a certain way or easily read her body language but that only got him so far. He knew she was nervous, or anxious though he could have figured that just from the way she tried to talk her way out of it. ''She reminds me of Anthy when we first met.'' He figured as he contemplated putting a hand on her shoulder or something to help her calm down. But back then it had averse effects and that was the thing holding him back for now.

''Oi, calm down.'' He offered finally as she seemed to stop rambling on and on. Being silent was one thing.. but here she was deciding that the best course of action was to talk and seemingly denying Lucas any chance of talking. Luke stepped a bit closer to her to see what would happen right then, if she would step back or if she would remain in the same spot would tell him a lot about her. But either way his eyes glanced down as hers did and briefly wondered what was going on, though what she was doing was quite obvious.

A smile adorned his face as he opened his mouth, ''Ya wanna go, just go.'' he told her as his smile then faded. ''It'll leave me sad an' demolished but hey, who am I ta tell a cute girl ta do anythin', aye?''

[Elanora Brennan]

Wow Nora had clearly spent way too long in her own company and had completely forgotten how to act like a normal human being, she took a few calming breaths and hugged her helmet to her chest when he told her to calm down, it helped a little but she was still Nora. Being isolated for so long she still saw herself in a way as the little 12 year old who had come here with braces and pimples and hair that just wouldn't behave. She hadn't been around enough people to realize she had become rather pretty and she just didn't see it in herself overly. Sure her mum told her she was beautiful all the time but she was a mum, she was clearly just bias in Nora's eyes.

When Lucas stepped closer she didn't move from her spot she didn't know what was going to happen but she was almost chanting at herself in her mind, you will not just run away, you will not just run away, in an attempt to make herself see this experiment through. she glanced up at him through her mascara covered lashes as he started to speak again and was horrified to hear him tell her just to go. A part of her still felt embarrassed enough to just turn and run but she couldn't, and this time she heard his second lot of words.

She shook her head slightly at them, sad and demolished? she had never heard anyone use that to describe how her leaving would make them feel. On one hand she figured that was just the cocky play boy attitude coming out that she had noticed from the beginning, and on the other maybe he didn't think she was being as big of a social idiot as she did.

Still clutching her helmet to her chest she took one more calming breath trying to find her words and hoping they would actually come out the way she wanted this time. "Sorry that's not what I meant either, I'm not very good at this whole conversing thing, I meant it would be really cool if you wanted to keep talking and get our shopping missions done together but if you don't want too that's totally fine too"

She spoke her words while staring at the ground it seemed easier for her to get them out when she did that, man did she ever need to practice this. It was clearly a mistake to have cut herself off from the world for so long she was a complete and utter social catastrophe.

[Lucas Blacke]

He hoped she wouldn't leave. Luke wouldn't blame her if she did though, because he hadn't met a lot of people who didn't leave him sooner or later. There was something that was beginning to nag at him though, something he had known for quite some time but never really questioned up to this point. He never did want people to go but was always happily telling them to go, why was that? Maybe it was because Lucas was too afraid of him liking someone and then fucking them over despite that not even stopping him in the slightest.

It was a pro for her that she didn't step back when he closed in though, made him think he had a shot where she showed absolutely no other sign of him having one. She hadn't asked him anything about himself that could make her give him some hints about what was going on, and Lucas had next to no chance to ask anything as she seemed to be the kind of shy that talked a lot about nothing.

That was kind of a good thing though, it meant Luke's chances of fucking this up were severely reduced as he simply didn't get the chance. But then there was kind of an invite to do their shopping together as opposed to alone, and while she also added the option not to do just that any sane male specimen who wasn't gay would gladly take the opportunity to spend the day with such a beautiful girl, who also happened to have red hair. (something Luke still drooled over mentally)

''Talkin' with ya?'' He smiled slightly at that. ''I'd be lyin' if I just wanted ta stop at talkin'.'' The Texan told her with a wink, hoping she would see it as anything else than the real deal. Though maybe.. no, there was no chance she would move that fast, even when faced with someone like Lucas.

''I'd be happy ta help ya with whatever ya came here ta do! I don't have much of a mission meself, as ya so eloquently put.''

[Elanora Brennan]

Despite herself Nora blushed a little at his comment about not wanting to just talk. She didn't think he was serious and the playful wink made her smile shyly but also in her mind confirmed the non serious nature of the comment. She wasn't about to delude herself into thinking he was actually interested in her, but she had to admit it was kind of nice to have him jokingly pretend to be anyway.

Nora couldn't stop it her smile lit up from shy to a little bit more confident and happy when he mentioned being happy to tag along with her through he didn't seem to have shopping of his own to do. This made her grin a little mischievously "So you are just here to scam on the ladies hey? If you can pull yourself away from the hunt I just need a few art supplies if you want to come" she joked voice full of amusement and features relaxing properly for the first time since this awkward encounter, making her eyes sparkle with the joy of it. she body relaxed and the helmet she had been clutching to her chest with both arms fell to her side held loosely but securely in her left hand while using her free hand to point toward the little art store down the mall a little back the way Lucas had originally come from.

Nora was feeling far more relaxed now and thinking to herself maybe she actually did have a chance to make a friend today. When it came to her art Nora could be extremely shy, not many people got to see inside her art books once she had begun to fill them, when she was just purchasing blank ones however it was not a problem in the least. 

[Lucas Blacke]

And there it was, a positive reaction to his words that spoke more to him than her words. Also a quite promising reaction at that, maybe if he spent just a little more time on her he could.. he knew that was asking too much though seeing as how she was which seemed to be socially inept at the moment. Though he didn't blame her for that one bit, he had known someone else who was like that and got that person to act like a normal human being and Nora was nowhere close to her levels of anxiety.

But as he heard her words after that he couldn't help but smile when she mentioned the hunt, and even though he smiled he knew that that was exactly what he did; he loved the hunt and disliked that about himself as he knew he would just beat himself up over just seeing it all as a game he would undoubtedly be able to use as an excuse to be sad. But right now he was all about getting the girl to- he didn't know what exactly. Spend the day with him? Which was pretty much a done deed as she had just offered to do that.

''Aye, I can pull meself away from th' hunt.'' He confirmed at the same time he ignored her statement about scamming on ladies, and while he did scam on the ladies quite a bit he would prefer not to think about that. ''B'cause I think I just found me target..'' Lucas added with a smile.

Art supplies though.. the mention of those got him to think about a certain someone else.. and although that person was pretty fun to hang out with he would get to make some new memories with this one right in front of him. ''Why make art?'' He asked as he took out his phone and opened the camera, pointing it at Nora.

''Yer a piece of art yerself.'' He added as he snapped a picture of her.

[Elanora Brennan]

Okay so Nora had to admit despite his cocky attitude she was glad she didn't high tail it and run, she realized that she hadn't even thought about the pressure behind her eyes while they had been talking and took a few second to confirm that yes it was still there while she waited on his response. 'huh, she couldn't remember the last time that pressure had ever not bothered her, maybe having a meta friend wasn't the end of the world she always thought it would be, maybe it was a good thing something other then art to take her mind away from the pain of being near Meta humans.

She was snapped out of her little thought train when Lucas hinted in the most unsubtle way that he had found his target. She didn't get the chance to reply right away as he was already talking again asking her why art and throwing in the corniest line about her already being art and taking a picture of her.

With a grin on her face she looked behind her in an over the top dramatic way. "Where? you mean her?" she said pointing at an elderly lady using a walking frame who just happened to be walking past behind her at the time and was most likely in the background of his photo "You know you might be in for a shot there, just don't brake her hip ok" she said with a wicked grin.

With a slight roll of her eyes in a playful way she headed toward the art store figuring he would either follow or pursue his hunt of the grandma, she wouldn't take much to chase down after all. Nora felt lighter and more like the 11 year old her before the power thing had happened back when she was easy going, care free and had friends. Though she still had a nagging in the back of her mind that new voice that had come about after that blissful time that seconded guessed that this easy feeling would last

[Lucas Blacke]

So this was turning out to be a bit more fun than expected with how she responded and all. Lucas smiled a bit when she responded to him snapping a picture with the claim that she was already a work of art by pointing to the space behind her and commented on some old lady just passing by. To be honest, Luke had to do his best to not physically shiver at that point, but he also felt the need to laugh as she did that and instead just smirked widely at those words.

She did seem like a bit of a different person at that point though, and Luke would even go as far as to say she looked more confident now than she had done in previous moments. It suited her. And it suited Lucas too, in a way. Perhaps the wrong way but he would figure that out when they would both get there.

''Hmm..'' He looked at the old lady Nora was pointing at and hummed silently, exhaling through his nose to make known he was thinking. ''I might break more than just her hip..'' He joked as he glanced back at Nora. He was aware of what joke was being made but she wouldn't get away with it so easily, and what more was that she had kind of turned his comment about works of art into something a bit more.. Lucas..

The boy smiled and waved at the old lady in the hopes she'd see it, but didn't do much more. Who knew, maybe the way Nora would react to that would be even more fun.

''Might be better if we did things together, pretty sure yer not just gonna lie there and take it.'' He said with a smile and a wink.