I Hate Fish [Open]

[Samuel Rixon]

It was 59 degrees outside. On the cooler side, but most of the students were still running around in t-shirts and light hoodies. Not Sam. Sam was bundled in sweatpants, a t-shirt, a hoodie, and gloves. He was well aware he looked like a dork, but at least he was a warm dork. He couldn’t imagine being like the ice manipulators. Running around in the dead of winter in t-shirts and shorts. He physically shuddered at the thought. If he even tried, just for fun, he’d probably go hypothermic in about twelve seconds. And he really, really didn’t feel like going to the hospital because of his own stupidity. Well, not that kind, anyway. Doing things like skateboarding down a staircase, or jumping off of a roof though? That wasn’t stupid. That was fun. Going to the hospital, not so much. He was already a little odd. Technically, his ‘normal’ body temperature should have been killing him. But it wasn’t. It would only turn deadly if it dropped. Yeah. Try explaining that one to normal doctors.

Okay, so maybe Sammy’s ideas of fun were only sounding like fun because he might have been the tiniest bit high at the moment. Just a little giggly, nothing significant. He’d shared a joint with his roommates before heading outside, and he was glad he had. It made him so much more cheerful about the fact that he was outside.

The teenager flopped down beside the koi pond, not daring to take off his mitts and stick his hand in the water. He didn’t even know why he was bothering to sit here. He didn’t even like fish. But he did like the marginally safer feeling he had by the water. This way, if he started a fire, at least he had a small safety net. So far, he’d done well today. He hadn’t been able to produce flames in class, but he hadn’t set anything else on fire, either. Well, so far, anyway. He couldn’t promise he wouldn’t burn anything before bed.

He lay back in the grass, feeling the heat from the sun on his face. It felt nice. If he could, he’d stay out here until it was time for bed. But that wasn’t going to happen, because the temperatures would drop, and Sam would freeze his butt off. For now, it was nice to just relax. When he was relaxed, the chances of him burning something inadvertently were close to zero. That much, he understood about himself. Now if only he could understand the rest of his strange abilities.

Notes: Sammy’s first post!
Outfit: Here!

[Tess Holmes]

It had been a good day for Tess. For whatever reason things just seemed to going smoothly for her today. She had gotten a decent amount of sleep last night, actually managed to get through class and a training session with no headaches. Tess was amazed. Maybe her final year here was going to be what snapped her ability into step. Up until now it had been mostly a drag. Well, not completely, she did rather like her ability, except for the headaches...and the insomnia. Who was she kidding? Her fondness for her ability flipped easier than a penny.

But still, it had been a good day and that was enough for Tess.

She still needed to get outside. Good day or not, getting stuck indoors for too long always made Tess stir crazy. It didn't matter where, just so long as it was open and Tess could feel a breeze in her hair. The rooftops were a favorite haunt of hers, usually for a quick smoke or a bit of quiet private thought. She had other such places too, the koi pond being one of them. Most students overlooked the smaller pond. After all in a big school full of kids with kinds of shiny powers, who's really going to head down to a pond to look at the over sized goldfish crackers? Tess did, but not to gaze fondly down at the moving scenery.

It helped her headaches and especially the migraines, and really, a joint every now and then? What did it hurt? Certainly not her head. Heading down one of the back paths to the pond, Tess pulled her hair back into a clip with one hand as her other dug into the pocket of her thin hoodie. The green thing hung loosely on her shoulders. It was faded from being several years old. But to Tess it was just entering it's prime. Finally soft and broken in just the way she liked them. Her jeans were pretty similar. Holes just below the knees, Tess liked to play a game or two of Autumn soccer in them. Her sneakers padded down the path as she pulled the joint from her pocket and light it absentmindedly.

True, she didn't have a headache now, but why worry about risking one? Brushing some bangs out of her eyes, Tess turned the corner, about to head over to her favorite rock when she nearly choked on her smoke.

"Sorry," she managed to get out, her hand dropping quickly, though it wasn't like she could hide it at this point. "Usually no one here this time of day," Tess added, rolling her eyes at the lame excuse. "I can," Tess was fairly certain she had seen this boy around, but she couldn't call up a name. "I mean, if you're meeting someone, I can leave," Tess added sheepishly as she took half a step back.

[Samuel Rixon]

A good day for Sam was simple. He didn’t light anything on fire he wasn’t supposed to. He didn’t land himself in detention. He didn’t hurt himself doing something stupid. So far, he was three for three. So far being the operative words, there. He knew that the more he thought about it, the higher the chances were he’d do something stupid. Especially when it came to his power. He was pretty sure his trainers were convinced he was a lost cause, by now. Either he couldn’t produce flames in class, or he did… and burned something like a desk. Trust me, it happens more often than he’d like.

When the weather was cool, Sam was trapped inside, usually huddled against a heater. He was happier like that, though. He could avoid cabin fever easily enough. It was easy to entertain him with card games (poker, in particular), or television. Or video games. Or music. There were a lot of options to keep him entertained inside. As long as he was warm, he was a happy pyrokinetic. Right now, he was a happy, warm pyrokinetic, with a nice safety net, just in case his body felt the need to ignite something.

He wasn’t expecting company. No one really came down to the pond. Not until the summer heated up. Then, Sam was in his element. Literally. He was like a lizard, he could lie in the sun for days and be happy. Right now, it was borderline for him to be outside. If it was cloudy, he wouldn’t risk it. And if it was raining, or snowing? Forget it. Nothing was going to drag him outside. But today wasn’t so bad, so long as he stayed in his hoodie, and kept in the sunny patches. He could almost fall asleep, really. And he might have, had he not found himself a distraction.

The smell got to him first. Familiar. And it definitely wasn’t him. He sat up, looking over his shoulder. If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. He just grinned in a friendly manner. “Well hey there.” Okay, she was kind of cute, and she had a joint. She was officially Sam’s new favorite person. For the next five minutes, anyway. He shook his head. “No, come on over. I’m not waiting for anyone. Just enjoying the heat.” … Yes. In a thick hoodie and sweatpants, he’s enjoying the heat. Crazy? Just a little. “And seriously, I’m no boy scout. Don’t hide that thing. In fact…” he stretched. “I shared one with my roomies before I came out.” He shifted over on the grass, in the hopes she might come and sit nearer to him. “I don’t bite.” No, he just lights stuff on fire. But he doesn’t bite.

[Tess Holmes]

She almost didn't hear his friendly greeting. Tess's brain was too busy trying to think of a cover story for the pot. She couldn't believe how careless she had been. Couldn't she have waited until she had gotten all the way to the pond until she had lit up? Or, really, she should have just gone to the roof. It must have been because it was her last year here that she was letting herself be a bit too casual.

However the easy grin put her thoughts on pause as it didn't seem like he was fixing to run off and tattle to the nearest professor. She sighed in relief, the rest of her smoke escaping from her as she returned his grin. Her brow crinkled up for a moment when he mentioned enjoying the heat though it smoothed out quickly enough. She might not be able to summon up his name, but she did remember him from some training sessions. He was that pyro that never seemed to get fire to listen to him. Tess could sympathize with that. She had a grip on her power now, but when she first came here, she had just about as much trouble as he did. If she still was having as much difficulty, she'd probably be using stuff a lot stronger than pot.

Laughing easily at his comment of not being a boy scout, Tess nodded and slung her way over to the spot on the grass near him. She took a drag as she flopped down onto the grass, stretching her legs out and crossing her ankles. "Hope not, I tend to bruise easily," Tess joked about his biting, offering him the joint. "I'm Tess," she said, looking over to him, biting in her lip for a moment. Bad habit and she was forever carrying around lip balm because of it. She felt a bit bad she couldn't call up his name. It was going to drive her mental, cause she definitely had seen him around.

"You'd think they'd just let some of us carry it," Tess mused with a roll of her eyes. She would have liked that rule to be added. Some days, aspirin just didn't cut it...at all.

[Samuel Rixon]

Seriously, no cover story was needed. Sam was just as bad when it came to casual drugs. The harder stuff, he wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole, but weed was innocent enough. Sort of. At least he didn’t do it often enough to qualify a problem. It was just casual. Once in a while. Sam didn’t tend to get stressed out about much, so it definitely wasn’t for that. It was just ‘hey, let’s get high. Could be fun.’ Really, the boy puts no thought into plans. Period.

It wasn’t in Sammy’s nature to tattle, not really. Not unless he was at home, playing the usual role of younger brother. Then he could go tattling to his parents. But his fellow students? Unless something was dangerous, he wasn’t going to bother. He was lazy like that. It was no wonder he had no control over his power, he didn’t feel like exerting the effort. If an inferno started, he’d deal with it. He got the vague sensation he knew this girl from class, but he couldn’t place her name, either. Not that that was surprising. Sam was terrible with names. Some days, it was a miracle he remembered his own. Days like today, he was feeling terribly lazy, a little giggly from the joint he’d shared in his room, there was literally no chance of remembering anyone’s name. ... Including his own.

Sam relaxed a little when the girl laughed, and leaned up against his knees. Her little joke made him chuckle softly. “I only bite by request.” ... Yes, he really did just say that. But his eyes lit up when she offered out the joint, which he took gratefully. One more hit wouldn’t hurt him. As he inhaled, he nodded at her name. Tess. That was it. He totally knew that. ... Not. He slowly blew out the smoke and handed the joint back. “’m Sam. Sammy. Whatever you want to call me.” Retard works, too. Or Pyro. He likes that one.

He shrugged at the drug comment, then frowned. “Wait... you mean... for like... headaches, and shit? Does that actually work?” Oh Sammy, you’re lucky you’re cute.