View Full Version : Out of the Ashes [Private T&J Game] IC
There was an explosion from somewhere in the distance, out by the Institute's walls. It was quiet, relative to the darkness; it could have been the gun of a hunter in the woods. Some kids with fireworks. Somewhere near the city, a helicopter whirred.
Adrian was expecting these sounds; he was the only one who understood to look for them. He hurried down the hallway with his travelling bag, and a spare he'd bought recently. He'd raided the pantry...And nicked a little cash where he could find it, even.
Sorry, but sometimes you have to survive.
He knocked on a door on the 1st floor hallway and entered. He threw the bag onto a bed.
"Wake up, Eric. Pack only what you can carry; we've got to get going."
The young man's voice was pleasant, cheerful, and mild. He did not sound half as concerned as his actions would imply.
Atreli
2013-01-19, 11:06 AM
Eric groaned and lifted his head up from the pillow. " Adrian?" After a brief pause Eric asked, " What's going on?" To him it sounded like any ordinary day so this was rather unexpected. But he trusted his friend so he was going to do what Adrian said anyway, hopefully though, an explanation awaited him in the near future. Were they going away for the day unexpectedly? Running away? That one wasn't very likely but hey you to consider all the possibilities.
Pulling on some jeans over his boxers Eric quickly slipped into the rest of his outfit while he telekinetically got a duffle from the closet and began to fill it with the essentials the same way. On the way to the door Eric grabbed his sunglasses and put them on before opening the door.
Again with the nonquestions even though he desperately wanted to. His cane was the next to grab. Moon, his snow white husky had begun to run around the room barking, excited over all this unexpected activity. "Moon come on. Time to go." At that she ceased all excitement and sat at his feet waiting to be leased up. As he did so he ran through a mental checklist of all he needed and seemed to have everything he and Moon needed packed already.
" Alright Adrian, I'm ready, let's go but you are definitely explaining this in detail later."
"Of course."
Adrian nodded. There was an explosion. It was clearly not a gun or fireworks, and it was clearly coming from...The other side of the building.
"I suppose I should have come a bit earlier, but... Win some, lose some."
He shrugged. For the sake of expediency, he grabbed Eric's hand and more-or-less pulled him into a running pace. Down the hallway. Out a window (not the front door.)
There was shouting from the direction of the explosion. Gunshots.
Adrian, meanwhile, only had a bit of worry for all the noise.
"I do hope they were ready...I tried to warn them."
Adrian looked around. Now that they were outside, he had to find his way of sneaking out in the dark.
"Hey, Eric? Think you can tele-feel around the front fence for something for me? It'd be a hole, half-hidden by the bushes. Pretty big, since we have to fit you and Moon."
Atreli
2013-01-19, 11:51 AM
Eric's head automatically swung in the direction of the explosions.
" What?" Was all he could squeak out.
Debating whether to go back or not, he thought long and hard on this before just shaking his head. " Adrian we should go and help, shouldn't we?" He sighed and knelt on the ground, putting his hand on the grass. Feeling his way through the land itself, he felt the hole in the fence pretty easily. It wasn't too far from where they were now.
" I know what you're going to say: we should keep going, I know." He stood. " It's over there. " He said a bit dejectedly, pointing into the direction he had felt it.
He should go back. He belonged there.
Adrian set off determinedly for the hole. He scrambled through it and under the fence, sliding off into the air.
"I tried...To warn them, I mean. If they believed me, they've got as much help as they can get. They're prepared, they're ready...
But I think it's safer for us if we get away as soon as possible, and come back later."
He explained, a little frustatedly. He sighed; he didn't expect to be believed. That was the hard part. He stood, waiting for Eric.
" If the security team's prepared, maybe we can come back. If they didn't listen...Who's to say?"
Atreli
2013-01-20, 06:21 PM
Eric sighed heavily before nodding.
" It's just...I belong here. I don't belong out there. Everyone says so. Where would we go?"
Despite what he said he and Moon shimmied under the gate after Adrian. It was for the best, this running away from danger thing.
But I guess even if it's for a good reason running away still feels wrong.
" Coming back later works I guess..." Eric mumbled.
"I know a good hotel in the city; I was staying there before I joined the instute, and I've got money for a room."
This was, of course, when they were stopped by... A man with a gun.
"Stop right there, you punk kids!"
"...P-problem, sir?"
Atreli
2013-01-20, 07:25 PM
Eric nodded. Sounded like a plan. For now at least.
When the man stopped them, Moon began barking and growling at him...
...right before attacking him by grabbing his leg with her teeth.
This distraction was enough for Eric to tele the gun out of the guy's hand and into the air way above his head.
Eric's hands began to shake as if all the high adrenaline activity was catching up with him.
...Uh, was it?
Make a roll for Moon's bite and Eric's coordinated tele-grab.
Defenses against both, as the man tries to hold his gun and dodge the dog.
Dodging:
[roll0]
Gripping:
[roll1]
And it appears he lost on both counts! Being bitten and disarmed gives the boys time to run.
"Come on! They won't have the nerve...to attack us in a crowded bus!"
He grabbed Eric's hand and started running.
He was totally making this up, of course...But he knew better than to panic Eric.
Atreli
2013-01-27, 12:13 PM
As if it were fate a bus stopped just up ahead at a bus stop, moving quickly they all managed to get on and get seats. Moon sat close by Eric's feet, watching the people get on and sit down curiously.
Eric was trying to catch his breath. " Okay, that was too much excitement in one day don't you think Adrian?"
Looking down he noticed his hands were still shaking. Just calm down, please? He thought to himself.
"...Let's hope nothing else happens. But still...Who are those people?"
Adrian sighed and rested his chin on his hand.
Atreli
2013-01-27, 07:01 PM
After a minute or two Eric finally calmed down. Reaching out he patted Moon a few times on the head and in return she looked up at him a little concerned.
" I was hoping you knew, actually." Eric said with a shrug.
"I can see the future... But it's not like I get any context. I didn't know if this was going to be tonight or next year...To be honest, I don't know why this is happening."
He sighed a little bit. The instute was nice. Family-nice...And then there was Eric. Adrian supposed Eric was his responsibility, but... The boy could cause a lot of trouble.
"Still...I get the impression we won't be returning for a long time."
Atreli
2013-01-28, 12:42 PM
" That's too bad...I really liked it there despite what I used to say. I just hated being cooped up like some pet bird all the time." Eric folded his hands in his lap and looked down.
" The doctors were always saying it was too much stress on me being outside of the institute but this doesn't seem so bad. " He shrugged. " I'll never get why they made such a big deal out of my stress level anyway or my black outs for that matter. Guess I don't have worry about that stuff now."
At his feet Moon let out a soft whine as if she openly disagreed with him.
"Eric, this is a bus. We haven't even begun to think about actual life."
That was something to worry about; Adrian fiddled in his seat. A crowded bus was probably not the place to take off the kid gloves. The kid gloves that Adrian knew would have to come off.
"Because you're not exactly safe when you black out -- you could hurt yourself or others... They're not like my black-outs, and even I've managed to hurt myself and other people, Eric."
Adrian's "black-outs" were basically not unlike fainting spells, less controllably than Eric's...But also a lot safer, as long as they didn't happen in the middle of traffic or something.
Atreli
2013-01-28, 01:02 PM
Eric scoffed at his words. " Not you too."
Great, freedom from doctors and I somehow ended with someone who thinks just like them.
" I swear it's a conspiracy with everyone I know." Eric muttered.
"No, I mean it. You kinda go berserk...It's less a black-out and more a red-out, from what I've seen. If that happens out here, I don't know what I'll do. I can't ask you to stop, or anything."
Adrian said. Of course, a little presence in the back of his mind told him...It wasn't like he was completely unprepared.
The bus pulled up in a street in a not-so-great part of town.
"This'll do; there's a hotel not far from here."
He helped Eric up and got off the bus.
Atreli
2013-01-28, 01:34 PM
Eric sighed." I'm sorry Adrian but I can't admit it to myself that that's true. "
Even as he said it, it didn't feel right. Sure, Adrian had no real reaon to lie despite the fact that they hadn't been friends very long. But Adrian was his first real friend in a long time, he wanted to make this work.
Most people he tried to make friends with usually ended up making quick getaways out of his life for some reason.
But he just couldn't open the door to what could possibly be a horrific reality. He wanted to live in his fantasy world a little longer.
" I just can't. My blackouts are fainting spells nothing more."
"...Eric. If this ends up being a thing, I can't let you run away. I don't have access to tranq guns or hypnosis; you've got to take care of yourself."
He said. Adrian knew...This would be rough. They entered the hotel, which was a cheap little establishment; perfect for if you had just raided your savings in an emergency. And maybe some wallets.
"I need a room. Two beds."
He explained to the woman behind the counter. She sniffed and looked at Moon -- not a dog-lover.
"We don't allow pets."
"But miss, he's my friend's service dog! I know it must be an awful lot of bother...But I'm sure you could find it in the goodness of your help to let us stay..."
Adrian whips out the puppy-dog eyes.
[roll0]
Atreli
2013-01-29, 07:02 PM
Eric soaked in his words. Hypnosis? Tranq guns?
Adrian don't say those things. " I'll try, for you." Eric muttered.
Slapped back into reality once they were into the hotel Eric reached out a hand to the front desk to allow a better view of the woman and the room itself.
Smiling politely he said, " Please, Miss, I take really good care of her and Moon is quite trained so you won't have to worry about messes or barking at night I promise."
[roll0]
The woman gives them both a stern look over her glasses, weighing her options. Then she sighs.
"Alright, but it's 25 extra."
Adrian considers saying something about discrimination, but holds back.
"Thank you very much, ma'am."
He puts the money down and she gives them a key.
As Adrian walks to the elevator with it, he smiles.
"Well, that's our first problem down. Now we just wait the night out here, and we'll check things in the morning."
Atreli
2013-01-30, 03:52 PM
" Sounds like a plan Adrian."
Eric swallowed any more words he had on their earlier conversation. No need to dwell on it, just focus on the moment.
" But I doubt we'll going back to live there any time soon." He shrugged. " Just a feeling I have."
"That's my instinct as well...But then again, I don't actually know that. We may luck out, and my warning was listened to in the right way at the right time."
Adrian didn't know -- he had no vision concerning it just yet... Maybe that was a good way of saying it wasn't going to happen. Or maybe it was something....That he didn't have any certainty about.
"If it happens we can't go back... We'll need to decide what to do. My streetcorner bit won't cut it for two."
He said, thinking about his money supply. It cut it for one via low standards and cunning, he knew. Well, that and real arcane power.
Atreli
2013-02-01, 12:34 PM
Eric nodded.
" Let's worry about all this tomorrow. I really don't want to be up all night fretting about this stuff."
He sighed. " It's been way too long of a day already."
Adrian nodded.
*the next day*
Adrian was awake first, with the TV muted. He was watching it with an unfocused, unhappy expression.
Atreli
2013-02-05, 07:02 PM
Eric got up a little while after. Groaning as he sat up in bed, he tousled his hair a bit before propping himself up against his pillows.
" Adrian?" He asked softly. His milky white eyes opened completely as he said this.
"Morning."
His voice sounded cheery. He switched the sound on the TV, and so ordinary morning reports filled the room.
"Nothing about last night. That's...Worrying."
Atreli
2013-02-06, 12:26 PM
Deep concern crossed his face before everything in the room began shaking like a mini quake. Eric whimpered and rubbed at his temples before grabbing his dark glasses and slipping them on.
Only when they were in place did everything stop moving.
" Maybe everything's fine and back under the radar?" Eric mumbled quietly.
"...I'm not sure. Maybe if there was damage that would expose...Things."
After all, even in the short time Adrian had been in the city, he'd heard of the Institute in public forum. Not all of what it was, but...The public version.
"Well, I suppose we need to check it out for ourselves."
Atreli
2013-02-08, 10:57 AM
" Yes." Was he said.
Rolling out of bed Eric began to get dressed. Moon watched him from her vantage point on the floor on her pillow.
" ...I'm sorry." He said after a moment. " About..." He looked around the room. He was just too embarrassed to say it. " I don't know what came over me."
"I'm not actually sure what just happened, really."
Adrian shrugged.
"Anyway, waking up in a strange place does odd things to us all. But sooner or later, you get used to it...Or, at least, take solace in the fact that there are stranger places to wake up."
Atreli
2013-02-10, 12:58 PM
Eric just smiled at that.
He was now fully dressed and ready to roll.
" Let me go and take Moon for a walk then we can go...wherever."
Hooking her leash up to her collar, they headed out the door once Eric had grabbed his cane.
Adrian nodded.
About midway through his walk, Eric felt something against his back. Moon began to bark.
"Hand over your wallet, and shut up that dog."
A telekinetic search would reveal a tall man in a long coat, pressing a gun to Eric's back.
Atreli
2013-02-20, 02:00 PM
Eric's stress level was teetering dangerously high. All of yesterday and now this. Too much, it was too much.
It was just the last straw.
Suddenly Eric's telekinetic vision cut off, bathing him in darkness. Faintly he heard Moon barking at him excitedly, as if she knew what was to happen to next. Unbeknowst to him, red light was coming off of his body in waves. The ground began shaking beneath him, no doubt Adrian would feel it in their room. The transformation was pure agony, leaving his thoughts only full of the pain and nothing else.
What took Eric's place was nothing short of incredible. Chaos, a creature that was massive much bigger then humans could ever be in size and stature. Well developed muscles covered his broad bare chest, Eric's having ripped and shredded away. Black body markings decorated his pale flesh, he had shaggy black hair that fell into his eyes. From the waist down, he had a snake's body, what seemed almost an endless coil of black and gray scales.
Chaos instantly felt the gun pressing against his back. Chaos whirled around to face the dirtbag. Blood red eyes flashing and pinted, razor sharp teeth breaking into a grin, he swung his arm into the man. This horrid man made Eric afraid and for that he would pay. He must protect Eric. No matter what.
He was kinda hoping that this sent the dirtbag flying and far away from here.
The man ducked and tried to cover, at least a little bit, his mind boggling from the horror before him.
[roll0]
In the hotel room, Adrian covered his head and sighed.
"...I knew this was going to happen...I should have..." No, he shouldn't have. He closed his eyes and clutched a small pendant around his neck. "Oh champion, my will summons you. My will guides you. My will binds you... Come, Star-wandered...Come, mage-devourer... Come... I'm right here!"
There was no flash of light. No theatrics. Adrian straightened.
Or was it Adrian? Oh, sure, the face was Adrian's...But the expression was hardened, taking that soft, boyish edge off of it. The posture was straighter, prouder, stiffer, and the man just seemed to wear the body differently.
And his eyes... His eyes were much colder, much older. They were eyes that had seen stars go out, and had seen its own compassion sputter and die like a candle flame.
This man walked down the hallway to the fire escape with a purpose -- let the alarm blare. He floated down light as a breeze, and looked about for the signs of what he was summoned to do.
Atreli
2013-02-21, 11:47 AM
Chaos hissed slowly at the man's movements. " Get away from me..."
He could feel his temper rising at this puny human. Who did this punk think he was? There was enough of his plate already without adding this to it.
He was alone and his sense of smell told him that he was in the middle of the city. Which made no sense at all. The doctors at the institute had forbidden him any city visits for reasons you wouldn't need many guesses for.
Eric, on the other hand, was allowed visits into the city but were usually heavily supervised and he was tranqed instantly if anything seemed remotely out of whack.
But before he ponder what to do about this whole confusing mess he had take care of this creep. With one quick movement Chaos attempts to knock him over with his tail.
Given that the man already successfully defended from Chao's last attack, let's just call that unsuccessful, with Chaos taking 3 ranks of damage. The man fires his gun at Chaos.
[roll0]
It was then that something else came at poor Chaos. A bolt of force, aiming at the back of his skull.
[roll1]
The assailant looked like Adrian, but to Chaos's senses...Something was wrong. The smell, the posture, the tilt of the head like he was surveying the work of his shot. He held a small paper talisman in one hand, with a circle drawn on it. Magus hovered slightly off the street, giving him the impression of height.
Atreli
2013-02-26, 12:26 PM
Pain burst in front of his vision like stars in a cartoon. For a moment he was greatful Eric was M.I.A so he could completely miss out on this.
The gun. The bolt. It was too much. His vision blurred for a second as he got a gander at his new opponent. " Adrian wha-?" Chaos uttered. The immense confusion he was feeling dripped off his tongue and into his words. What had happened? It was like that story his old doctor, Dr. Campbell used to read to him when he was younger. Down a rabbit hole and into a place that is entirely crazy.
His fingers went to stop the bullet hole from bleeding. The whole time he was panting heavily, unable to catch his breath suddenly. " Adrian wait! It's not...what it looks like! He attacked Eric...I was protecting..." Chaos turned and refocused on the man with gun just because he didn't want to risk getting shot. Again. No more. He didn't have the strength to get creative so he simply punched the guy.
[roll0]
The man tries to dodge.
[roll0]
...And succeeds. He is a lucky little mook.
Magus takes in the scene with an air of inhumanly icy calm; Adrian had seen Chaos before, but not exactly met him, and neither Chaos nor Eric had ever seen Magus...
"......Still, this is a rather lot of trouble. First things first...This petty little thug needs to go to sleep, to preserve these secrets..." A little twinge in the back of his head. "If not to clean up this street."
[roll1]
He fires a blast at the man that wouldn't really hurt him...But would, ideally, knock him out.
When the man tries to dodge, he fails. He's now dazed and distracted, free for a good-ol'-Chaos Punch.
Atreli
2013-03-02, 12:42 PM
Chaos growled at the guy as he dodged, his patience quickly evaporating.
Up there, was it really Adrian? It didn't smell very much like him at all. But there would more time to ponder that later. And to discover what the hell was going on.
Chaos went in for another punch, hoping this time, finally it would be over.
[roll0]
Aaaaand there's nothing he can do to succeed. The man is out cold.
"Right. Now...Let's cooperate quietly, shall we? This situation can only be made worse by public displays."
Magus landed, so he'd no longer be a floating guy.
Atreli
2013-03-08, 08:29 PM
" Fine, I'll be a good boy." This was said with minor sarcasm but Chaos' deep voice just made it funny.
" But only if you tell me what the heck is going on around here." Bleeding and in pain, he didn't care. He was getting answers before anything else happened.
" I'm not allowed city visits so why are we here? Where are the nurses and the doctors with their handy dandy tranq guns? And who are you? You smell like Adrian but..." He would have folded his arms if he could but both of them were on the gunshot wound.
"Consider me a ghost in the shell. I'm in Adrian's service... And right now, the odds are very good the institute no longer exists, or is under attack. It certainly wasn't safe for either of the boys there last night."
Magus gave his answers quickly, and seemingly without feeling.
Atreli
2013-03-17, 06:51 PM
" If I had more energy I'd jump for joy. Freedom does taste so good right now." His voice was quickly gaining that scratchy tired quality.
" You have your own name though right? What is it?" He was trying so hard to stay conscious. He hadn't even got the chance to see any trees yet. It isn't fair. Why does Eric always get that chance when he can't even see enough to appreciate it? " Tell me, please before Eric takes over."
" I can't hold on much longer..." The blood loss was making him way to woozy.
"I don't. But the master calls me Magus."
That was all he had to say on that; what was a name, to one such as him? Still... he stood watch, in case anyone had heard the news. There was magic to make this easier.
Atreli
2013-03-19, 06:49 PM
" Magus...huh..." Moon wagged her tail, hoping to catch Chaos' eyes.
Chaos was becoming increasingly out of it due to bloodloss. When he couldn't hold any longer, his vision swam wildly. He glimpsed one more look at the sky before the darkness inside him swallowed him whole.
Eric's return was brutal. Lights exploded out of Chaos' body, cracks formed in the road below. The sounds of his bones going back into place filled the air.
Moon just sat silent and watched. Concern in her eyes.
Once the light had died down Eric was standing where Chaos had been. Naked. Shivering. Gasping. Bleeding from the wound that looked a little worse after such a horrid transformation.
Confusion and pain were first things he felt. He opened his mouth and tried to say anything but just air came out. He couldn't focus. Couldn't-
Eric went down almost instantly. He was unconscious in a moment after that. It would be two days before Eric would show any signs of waking up.
Specifically, Eric woke up in a hospital with a very exhausted Adrian at his bed-side. Exhausted and anxious. He probably had not slept for days.
"...Eric! How are you feeling?"
Atreli
2013-03-29, 10:51 AM
Eric just responded with groaning. He turned to where Adrian's voice had come from.
" Adrian I-" he tried to trace back his memory of what happened and how they ended here back but he was just met with a gaping black void. The last thing he could vaguely recall was that teeny tiny motel.
" I can't remember. The hotel, we found a motel didn't we? Or did I dream that?" Eric moved to sit up in bed and did it quite easily.
The vision he got of the items in the room alone told him the story of where they were. Shouldn't they be at that motel? " A hospital? Why at a hospital? What happened?"
"No, that happened..."
Adrian mused that that was a bigger black-out than he expected.
"You took Moon for a walk. I'm...A little bit foggy on the details myself, but...It ended with a knife in your back and a large amount of the pavement torn up. Anyway, think you can stand? We don't have time to be here."
Atreli
2013-03-29, 11:28 AM
Eric nodded slowly. Taking in the info like he was reading instead of having lived it. Even after knowing what the pieces were he till couldn't get the memories back. Aw well.
" Yeah, I'm good. We can go." Eric swung his legs out from under the covers and over the side of the bed.
For the moment he left the wires all in tht were hooked up in his arms.
" Did you bring any of my clothes, cause I'm thinking that sneaking out of a hospital in a hospital johnny, not a good idea."
"Of course. I got your bag...Particularly since the motel kicked me out; without you, I couldn't keep Moon there."
Adrian says with an alarmingly chipper grin. He brings up the bag.
"One of the night orderlies is a very nice woman who's been letting me sneak Moon in and sleep in the break room."
With a hand that apparently was rather practiced at unhooking an IV and a heart monitor discreetly, he removed them both from Eric's arm.
"I've got her tied outside at the moment. Hey, have you ever ridden on a train? There's one going to St. Louis that's heading by here soon, I think we could catch that. I've got some people who are going to be that way, too."
He tried to make himself sound cheerful, putting aside his own worries about travelling in such a hurry...and his report about what happened to the institute.
Atreli
2013-03-29, 07:44 PM
Eric got dressed in a hurry so it only took him 5 mnutes tops and then they were ready to go.
" No, I don't think I've ever been on a train before. I've had to live here and behind walls so many years that was no real chance to go anywhere really. "
He slipped his dark glasses on.
" At least not that I can remember anyway." He said with a shrug.
Cane was the next thing he grabbed and then the bag with the rest of his clothes in it.
" I'm glad she's okay. For a minute there I was seriously worried something happened to her."
"No, no...Moon's fine."
Unfortunately...
The same couldn't be said for our boys, who find a man with a gun waiting for them in the hallway.
"Stop right there, you freaks! Stop and come with us, or I'll shoot!"
The man yells. He looks serious.
Atreli
2013-03-29, 09:07 PM
" Adrian?" Eric said in a small voice.
" I can't afford to black out again but maybe I can..."
He tries to telekinetically push the gun out of the guy's hand.
He knocks the gun from the man's hand!
The man goes to recover it...
And Adrian grabs Eric's hand to run out of here as fast as he possibly can. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on a relatively clear path...Or, at least, the path he was going to take, and whether or not there were things in it.
[roll0]
Atreli
2013-04-09, 11:32 AM
Eric let himself be dragged away. Without looking back he kept his sights set on moving forward.
He was not the kind of person to be all heroic and be able to conquer any obstacles. A little shy and much too kind of a person.
So it was no surprise that fear had slithered it's way into his heart.
I want this to be over. I don't want to die! Maybe some peace would find them once and if they made it outside.
All his life he wanted to be out and among people but this really wasn't what he had in mind.
They managed to pull out, Adrian following his sense of where Eric would be, if there would be guards there...
Outside the hospital, Adrian pauses, panting.
"Ok. Ok. We need...We need to grab Moon, and get moving. I've...Not really figured out where we're going, actually."
Atreli
2013-05-24, 06:51 PM
" Where is she? Is she close?"
Eric was panting very hard too.
" I'm not sure it matters...we could close our eyes...spin around and it would work...just fine."
"Not quite. I meant...Where we're going in the long run. What's going to be hiding us, where we'll get money, and so on."
He looked around. Moon was tied up to a nearby bike rack. There was a polite note: "This dog is not abandoned. She just can't enter the hospital."
"Ah. There she is."
Adrian walked up and untied her.
Atreli
2013-05-25, 07:24 PM
Running a quick hand threw her hair, her tail began thump happily in seeing him.
Gently taking her leash , he pondered a moment.
"There has to be a way to hide in plain sight without quite attracting the attention of quite so many gunmen. " He paused. "Cause I don't know about you but I getting mighty tired of being shot at."
Moon walked a bit ahead of them, happy to be reunited with her master.
"But where? I'm not sure if a place like that exists anymore."
"Hmm...Well, the trick is getting out of the city. I don't think they can track us publicly very far. Once we're away, they'll have to work to find us..."
Adrian tapped his foot. The best way of getting out of town without an immediate trail...
"Hey, Eric, you ever taken a train before?"
Atreli
2013-05-27, 11:57 PM
"Not that I can remember."
As they began to wander to the train station Eric just listened to their footfalls for awhile.
" I hope we can keeping running away from trouble but I don't believe we'll have such luck forever. "
Eric's head lowered in almost shame.
" I attract my own kind of trouble after all, or at least that's what the doctors always said about me."
"Yeah, you've got to watch out for that. But we can talk about it later."
Adrian said.
"Anyway, if this is going to work, you've got to do exactly what I say...This is tricky business, for a first-timer. If we could just ride a train...That'd be easy, see. But we'd have to buy tickets, and get off at a stop and so on. Paper trail. So...We're sort of stowing away. On a moving train. And we may have to get off suddenly.
So can you promise you'll keep calm and listen to me?"
He says with a shrug. Eric can hear him turning his head this way and that as they drew towards the terminal, looking out for things.
Atreli
2013-05-28, 08:23 PM
Eric's mind flashed to the memories he had of the gunmen that they had run into so far.
" Don't worry Adrian, I can do this. I know you doubt I can but I don't want to up dead. I'll do anything you need in order to keep us alive and well."
"Good...Just to be safe, though, while we wait for a train...Let's run some hypotheticals."
Adrian stopped outside the terminus. If a train was coming, they'd be able to see and hear it from here. He leaned against a wall.
"...Like...If Moon tries to bolt because she's scared by the circumstances."
Atreli
2013-05-29, 05:26 PM
" That's a big if considering how well trained she is but then again this is a hypothical scenario..."
He thought as to a solution for a second before answering.
" There are a few options I can think of:one, I can try calling her back;two, I could always try telekinetically grabbing and holding her leash still or three, I can always try to telekinetically stop her."
He shrugged.
" But I would probably only attempt number 3 as a last resort."
"Calling her back on a moving train may not work, but I'm glad you know what to do...Ok, #2... If I collapse and fall off the train."
This had happened, but ultimately, he hadn't been badly hurt. Put simply...They were two unreliable people, relying on one another. It made Adrian smile.
Atreli
2013-05-30, 08:49 AM
" That one's a tad trickier."
Eric thought hard.
" Unless we were being shot at, I would think we should jut stay where we were until you woke up."
"No, you couldn't. I mean, you could if I stayed on the train...But if we're on the top of the train, I might fall off. It's happened."
He said, with a shrug. It wasn't a big deal that it had. He tapped his chin.
"I think if that happens, you wait until the train comes to a stop before getting off. No fancy stuff -- you're new at this, and anyway, it'd be hard to feel things out at those speeds.
...Then...You find a safe place to hide. I'll meet up with you. Can I borrow some hair?"
Atreli
2013-05-31, 11:24 PM
Eric soaked in Adrian's words.
" Sounds like a plan, I'll do that if we run in to that problem."
He almost stopped when he heard his friend's question. " Hair? What do you need hair for?"
"Well, it's like this -- I see mostly my future, and I don't have any control... But if I can touch someone, I can focus in on their future."
He smiled, a bit of cunning arising.
"Get it? If I have a piece of you, I can use it to know where you'll be going if we get separated. That way, I can track you down easily."
It wasn't a fool-proof plan...But it was a decent one, he felt.
Atreli
2013-06-19, 10:28 PM
He grabbed at a few loose strands and them in his hand.
" Anything to make this journey easier."
Adrian takes them and gets a sandwich bag out of his backpack. He puts them in the bag and tucks it back away.
A train is pulling up -- it appears to be all cargo, big containers of unknown objects. It slows down, its end still sticking out the the trainyard's station.
"This looks like a good ride. Think you can life Moon over the fence?"
Adrian himself begins fence-climbing. (Well, co-gm, do I need a roll?)
Atreli
2013-06-25, 03:18 PM
" I can give it a shot." Eric said in a small voice.
(I think so.)
Adrian scrambles over the fence and lands a bit heavier than he'd like, but brushed himself off and started running for a car with a flat roof.
"Ok, what you've got to do is get on top and lie flat as you can and hold on tight. No one checks the tops of these things."
Atreli
2013-06-26, 03:05 PM
" But of course they always check the parts that are the most comfortable." He said with a smirk.
(Do I need to get Eric over the fence climb too?)
"They're giant metal boxes. There's not a lot of comfort to go around."
He picked one and waved Eric over.
"This way."
((Nah.))
Atreli
2013-06-26, 05:07 PM
Eric reached out and touched the container instantly getting a good view of the way it's design.
"Getting up shouldn't be too hard." he said as he begin to climb up to the top. After he was was then going to lift Moon up.
"I hope."
Adrian reached down to help pull him up.
"I hope Moon can handle this. It's bound to be scary for a dog."
Atreli
2013-06-26, 10:15 PM
In the work of mere moments he was up on the roof with Adrian.
Once he sat down he flinched and inhaled sharply. The gunshot wound stung since too much movement plus not completely healed yet is not that terrific of a combo.
But he had to push through it.
telelifting moon up. [roll0]
He manages it. They all get to the top of the car...And the train begins to creak forward.
Adrian patted a spot by his hand.
"There's a spot right here that'd be a good grip, but a train like this won't move fast enough that we risk getting ripped off or anything. You've just got to keep your balance."
Atreli
2013-07-08, 03:44 PM
Eric nodded sharply.
" It;s going to be rough regardless though." He tightened his grip on Moon's leash as they got going.
"A bit, but it's kind of fun once you get used to it. I used to be part of a group that even travelled via train, old-fashioned-like. It was a lot of fun. Sometimes I'd find a good car and just ride on it for a stop or two."
Adrian said with a laugh as it began to pick up speed.
Atreli
2013-07-11, 10:36 PM
Eric shut his eyes tightly, focusing entirely on keeping himself calm.
Minimal stress. He promised Adrian he could handle it.
It might've been easier if he could see what was going on. But with just hearing made the whole ride was kinda nervewracking.
Some sounds he just couldn't identify, others were just loud . Occasionally his tele-sight would crop up but it was a quick flash and usually didn't provide any info just startled him most of the time.
This ride could'nt end fast enough.
Adrian rode quietly, occasionally describing when Eric should duck or the like. To him, this was familiar and....unfamiliar, all at once. Because ultimately, he'd always ridden alone. Beholden to
After a few hours on the train, they appeared to be slowing down.
"This spot looks good. Get ready to jump off."
Atreli
2013-07-16, 08:07 PM
Eric could hear his heart pounding behind his ribs. He wanted to be nervous but there was no time.
He jumped but his foot caught a corner sending him down and grabbing at the ladder.
I will not panic. I will not panic.
His mind raced with possibilities. Alright calm down. Think of something...think of something...
Adrian grabbed Eric's wrists with his hands to try and keep him steady.
"I said get ready! The train's still moving!"
Of course, now it was an awkward place. The train was moving more slowly now.
"...Listen, just push off and tuck your head so you don't land on it. I'll get Moon. You think you're stable enough to do that?"
Atreli
2013-07-19, 05:52 PM
Eric just nodded quickly.
He did just as Adrian said and landed safely in the grass beside the tracks. Trees and open grassy fields were everywhere as far as he could tell.
Sitting up slowly he became aware of how much he was shaking. Every cell in his body screaming for something he didn't know yet.
Just breathe.
"You OK?"
Moon was kind of freaked by all of this, but you don't get to be a service dog by scaring easily. He gave her a pet on the head and let go of her to straighten himself out.
Atreli
2013-07-22, 10:20 PM
" I'll live. You alright?"
More deep breathing. As the moments passed, he became more and more calm. No more red light now even the Chaos was dying for some airtime since he felt Eric freaking out. But his eyes were still blood red when he looked up at Adrian over the black glasses.
" On a scale of one to ten how stupid was that?" Eric said with a small laugh. " though in my defense you're the expert on this remember? I'm new at this."
"You did a good job. When you jumped properly, it was a good jump and a nice little roll. Let's call that a learning experience."
Adrian stretched and watched the train roll closer to its next stop.
"But now, we are in another town, and no one but us know that we're here. No trail. Not a bad day's escape."
Atreli
2013-07-31, 05:33 PM
Eric smiled a bit. " Hey girl." He mumbled softly as he reached and carressed Moon.
" It's a good day then I suppose." He said a bit steadier.
He stood up quickly. When he looked back at Adrian his eyes had already gone back to white.
" For a minute there, the strangest feeling came over me. " He shrugged as he continued to pet Moon.
"I noticed. Thank goodness, though; if you'd gotten carried away by it, all that work would have probably gone right down the drain."
He looked a little stressed by this thought.
"Anyway...I think I know someone I could call about maybe getting a job for a while."
Atreli
2013-08-01, 10:54 AM
" I just would've passed out. No big deal." Even as he said he knew it contradicted everything his friend had been saying about what really happens when he blacks out.
But he just wasn't ready to admit it that those things could be true.
Who'd want to admit that they become a highly destructive with nothing to reason with but the option of tranq guns and hypnosis?
He sighed heavily. For once he missed the doctors who had protected him for all this...
" Anything to slow down and these gun nuts off our tale."
Adrian groaned and put a hand over his face. Even if he wasn't going to admit to Chaos, he had to admit *to himself*.
"...You caused an earthquake the other day, Eric. An earthquake. You. Specifically. And if these people are going to track us...They'd look for anything out of the ordinary. Probably."
Adrian tapped his foot. He may be an expert at getting out of a city before people come to collect debts found you, but... He wasn't an expert on super-spy stuff.
"If it's too much, just think of it as like having a stress-induced seizure. That's a thing, right? Well, Your seizures are telekinetic."
Still he got up and started following the tracks towards town.
Atreli
2013-08-14, 01:13 PM
" Fine. For a minute let's say that's true even though I really don't want to admit it is."
He tightened his grip on Moon's leash.
" If I wasn't even aware of them happening until now so I doubt there's anything I can do to stop it or lessen it's power."
Eric sighed.
" Face it we're screwed in this department."
"Ah, but you stopped yourself this time, right? I'm not asking you to try and stop what's happening -- that's crazy. But before it happens? Keeping your cool and not letting yourself get to that point? That's the different between 'screwed' and 'not screwed.'"
Adrian explained as he walked.
Atreli
2013-08-14, 02:08 PM
" Alright, one time but one time isn't great ground to stand on. But I'll keep trying in the future Adrian, I'm just not sure how much I can really do... "
He looked over at Adrian as he spoke.
"I didn't know what was happening this time though. I just felt beyond sick or in shock or something and I thought just staying put would help. How was I supposed to know that would actually work?"
Eric took a deep breath and stopped.
" I wonder if I've hurt anybody before...though this certainly explains my terrible luck in keeping anybody around me except the doctors..."
"Once is enough to stand on. Haven't you ever read fairytales? Nothing happens once."
He said, the casual, easy air that Adrian had always possessed gliding back into his voice.
"Because it did work, after all. It worked, so it can work again. That it happened this time by chance? That's fine. I like luck."
Atreli
2013-08-26, 05:24 PM
" If you say so, I suppose. "
Eric glanced down, worry etching into his features.
" Adrian, as much as I want your company, are you sure it's safe for you to stick around me? Who knows when it'll be when I'll get this under complete control?"
Eric kept his gaze leveled to the ground. He really didn't want to split up but he would if he had to.
"...What would you do if I left?"
Adrian asked. It sounded like he'd thought about that a lot over the last few days.
Atreli
2013-08-27, 03:47 PM
Eric fell silent for a long while before speaking again.
"...Honestly...I'm not sure if I can survive on my own but in that case I'd have to try wouldn't I?"
His voice was small and unsure. Moon leaned closer to him as if to comfort him.
" You're free to go if you...want to." Eric said as he caught on how much it sounded like Adrian had thought alot about this. " If i'm too much of a bother that is." Even to his own ears he sounded sad and defeated.
" But as my friend, please don't give up on me just yet. I wouldn't give up on you, if I were in your shoes."
"I was asking because I expected your answer to be 'I wouldn't make it.'
...You're my friend. I couldn't leave you in the lurch like that."
Adrian said, a bright and chipper smile on his face. Sure, it worried him. And it'd be safer if they were a smaller target, and more Adrian's style... But that wasn't an option. That's all there is to it.
Atreli
2013-08-29, 08:45 AM
Eric half smiled at the reassurance.
" Thanks for saying so Adrian, that makes me feel happy to hear it."
Adrian was truly one of a kind, the friend Eric had always wanted.
"Yeah, that's the spirit!"
Adrian bounded forth cheerfully on his heels. Whether he was 100% comfortable with it or not, he couldn't leave his friend.
"If I'm hard on you...I'm just trying to keep up both safe the best way I know how. I'm not really used to trying to work out how to survive with someone else."
Atreli
2013-08-30, 07:34 PM
" I know, I do appreciate your effort though." Eric said with a bit of a brighter smile.
" So what's the story with this job you mentioned earlier?"
"Well, I was thinking I could go back to carney work...I'm sure there'd be something you can do. Room, board, mobility. Not a bad deal."
He smiled as he loped around. They were into a town now.
"The guy I'd be calling knows...About me, anyway. That I'm a proper sideshow, so to speak."
Atreli
2013-09-03, 10:25 PM
"Sounds pretty good to me. We'd be hiding in plain sight while making some money. "
I just hope I can control myself. Eric thought to himself.
He rubbed absently at his chest.
"That's the plan...I'm not sure what you can do for him, but I'm sure we can put an act together! Do you have problems with knives?"
Adrian asked that with a big, enthusiastic smile.
Atreli
2013-09-11, 04:06 PM
Eric laughed aloud.
" Telekinetic remember? There is not one single small object that gives me the heebie jeebies. " He paused before adding.
" When they're in normal circumstances that is, and not being wielded by psychotic commandos."
"Nothing's good when wielded around psychotic commandos."
Adrian smiled brightly and said, in a chirpy voice,
"A power that brings you fearlessness, huh? That's pretty swell."
Atreli
2013-10-05, 11:29 PM
Eric smiled warmly before shrugging halfheartedly.
"I have to be fearless somewhere right?" With each step his telekinetic vision cropped up of his shoes. For awhile he just focused on that.
"Maybe if I can just focus on my power long enough or hard enough I won't be such a fraidy cat all the time."
"It might be an idea... But the world may just be something you have to get used to."
He looked at the town that was drawing closer, the buildings rising as if from nothing, a road crossing the tracks up ahead. It was a truck-stop sort of town, from the look of it. He could already see an old-looking diner that'd be a perfect place to make his calls from.
"Maybe invulnerability could give you total fearlessness...But I doubt it. Everyone's afraid of something."
Atreli
2013-10-13, 09:59 PM
Eric chuckled a bit.
" I suppose the world wouldn't be so bad if I had been let out more."
He brushed the hair out of his eyes before going on.
" The doctors treated me like I was some sort of time bomb. I'm really trying out here Adrian if I can do this well, maybe they really were over exaggerating. But I still wonder why was it like that, Why not try to trust me with all this?"
He spread out his arms and spun around quickly. Moon easily followed his movements, barking happily beside him.
He went back to walking beside Adrian. " Ah well, guess we'll never know Adrian."
Eric turned back to the subject at hand. The doctors had been all he knew. Even though they were on the road now, it was always on his mind,his memories of them.
And of course figuring out why they did, what they did.
" Unless you've got any ideas."
---
Voices poured into a crack in the box. It wasn't a big enough crack to escape, just to listen, spying on the teenage mutants.
Oh, Eric
Chaos sighed deeply.
You wouldn't have to wonder if you'd just try to hear me.
For once in my life.
Adrian blinked. The future and the past incidents swam around inside his head.
"...You know, you don't actually want me to answer that," he said at last.
"Besides, you weren't always at the institute -- I know that much, just from making conversation."
He didn't have the whole story, but he also suspected he didn't *need* the whole story. Not knowing was a blessing sometimes.
Atreli
2013-10-20, 09:26 PM
" Come on Adrian, tell me. A little lack of control couldn't have the whole reason. " He asked with curiosity laced in his voice.
" Do you actually what they kept from me?" He asked point blank.
He measured every step as he wondered if he would finally get an answer to his questions. Questions that had been swimming around in his mind forever.
But then something occured to him.
" Forget it. You know what I don't wanna know. Maybe it's better I don't know if it's that horrible. " He inhaled sharply. " I wanna try to be better, happier and under control from now on."
As he said it he knew he meant it. It was for the best. This was the only way to find happiness and stability in this new life.
" And that means no questions, just focusing on my attempt at control and staying away from those commandos in black."
---
Chaos had heard everything and yelled out in frustration.
"Eric!!!" He paused as he tried to catch his breath.
Sometimes I really do want to hate you.
Adrian sighed and shook his head, smiling.
"Eric, can I tell you a little fortunetelling secret?"
Atreli
2013-10-20, 09:47 PM
" Oh?" Eric grunted as a sharp pain hit him in the side but it disapeared so quickly...
Eric turned back to his friend as he said. " Sure, what is it?"
---
"Sigh..."
"The first step in doing a reading for a person, in my opinion as a professional, isn't reading their future. No...The first step is looking at someone and seeing if that's even worthwhile.
Some people won't listen to me, no matter what I say. Some people won't listen if I say something they dislike. It's a rare person who, when they hear the future, won't turn away."
Adrian said this with a small smile, as if he really was just talking shop.
"That's just part of the business -- getting full of knowledge that no one will listen to."
They at last reached the diner, and Adrian held the door open to let Eric inside. His expression is cheery as usual.
"Ah, it was nice not having to think about bills for a while, but... It's back into the breach for me."
Atreli
2013-10-20, 10:33 PM
" Knowledge beats secrets though, any day of the week. If I were getting my fortune told, isn't the point to learn what you don't know what has yet to happen??"
He shrugged.
" Why turn away if you wanted to learn in the first place? It makes no sense. But you're right it is rare for someone to really accept those things as there are. But is a little fear really all that bad? "
Eric sank into his tele-vision of the diner, narrowing his gaze on the customers especially. Looking for any sign that the commandos were lurking.
Adrian nearly stumbled for a moment, tripped up on the blatant lack of self-awareness. Instead, he chuckled.
The thought crossed his mind that it must be amazing, being able to completely overlook yourself. Frustrating, but amazing.
Adrian slid into a booth and caught the eye of the waitress, a young woman who saw Adrian's smile and smiled back. The woman glanced at Moon, but saw her harness and Eric's sunglasses and rallied. She brought them both menus.
"What can I get you boys to drink?"
"I'll have a cup of coffee. Miss, does this place still have a phone I could use? My friend and I got, well, kind of stranded."
Adrian laughed self-depricatingly.
"Yeah, right by the wall, sugar."
"Thank you very much."
The woman turned to Eric. After a moment, she looked anxious.
"Oh, I'm sorry. While I'm here, would you like me to read you the specials?"
Atreli
2013-10-20, 11:17 PM
" Just some orange juice for me please."
Eric watched Adrian go and then turned back to the waitress.
" That would be very kind of you. Thanks."
Adrian got up and used the phone as the waitress read to him from the menu. The specials were...Well, nothing special, though they apparently made their own cherry-pineapple upside-down cake. The rest was pretty much classic American diner fare.
Adrian was talking on the phone -- Eric's hearing would probably let him hear most of Adrian's side of the conversation.
"Hey, Uncle Joe. It's me." A pause. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Things got away from me a bit. I was meaning to call sooner. How is everything?"
A longer pause. Adrian smiled comfortably.
"Uh, well... About that, Uncle. Things...Got complicated. Can I work at the carnival again for a while? You're in the area, right? ...Well, it was a bit hard to place, but yes." Adrian paused, not listening, but out of trying to find words.
"...And...Uncle? Do you have room for someone else? ... No, he's not a performer or anything. He's... He was living where I was. If you catch my meaning. ... It's a little silly, but... Um... I suppose I should say... His reasons for living there... Um. Aren't always as... Um... Harmless as mine."
A small pause. Adrian's brow furrows.
"I don't think it's safe to talk about him here. Call it my professional intuition... We're...Sort of in trouble, Uncle Joe."
Adrian was not smiling anymore. His voice was low and almost frightened.
"A lot of trouble. I... I may have bitten off more than I can chew.
But... What else was I supposed to do? I had to do something..."
Adrian's voice falters. A very, very long pause. At last, Adrian smiles weakly.
"Thank you. We're at the Whistlestop Diner in Ambersville. Yeah, yeah, just down there...Thank you so much, Uncle. I promise I'll explain as much as I can."
He hangs up the phone.
Atreli
2013-10-22, 10:44 PM
Eric ordered something that he thought sounded good but you never know with diner food and then dismissed the waitress.
He caught all of Adrian's conversation easily.
At first he was fine.
Then he began to grip the table so hard he white knuckled it.
He expected that strange pain to come but it didn't.
Closing his eyes tightly, he emptied all the thoughts that began to stir up. In the silence that greeted him, he could have sworn he heard something muttering in the back of his head.
"Eric...if you let me out we can settle this, finally, I promise..."
Eric shook his head back and forth.
But that's crazy right?
Someone had to have come in and sat in the booth behind him.
Yeah...that had to be it.
He opened his eyes...and tele-saw the booths around him. Nothing. No one in the booths around him.
Perfect.
Must be hearing things then...
Adrian came and sat back down. He had his normal innocent smile and cheerful, noncommital tone.
"Well, I've got at least our next step all squared away. Someone's coming to pick us up... It's OK if I explain to him about you, right? He knows about me."
Atreli
2013-11-16, 10:12 AM
" That's good." Eric said absently, like his thoughts were elsewhere.
" It's alright, though there's not much to say anyway."
He paused. Waiting for that voice to emerge, but nothing happened.
There was just silence.
Disapointment flashed through him for a second before he turned his attention back to Adrian.
"Not from your perspective, but you grew up surrounded by all of this stuff. Even I grew up understanding my own power... But he never knew any of it, until he met me. And then it's just me,"
Adrian explained.
"The carnival still has a side show, but... The people are straight human, all of them. Or fairly ordinary super-science accidents that ordinary people would know about. No mutants. No magic."
Atreli
2013-11-20, 09:32 PM
He leaned back into the seat of the booth.
" Seriously?" He paused, his fingers tapping on the table nervously.
" That's gonna be quite the adjustment. I promise I'll try to make this work."
Adrian smiled fondly.
"It's not that uncommon. I went... Umm... Maybe 12 years without meeting anything institute-worthy other than myself. In fact... You and I are probably the only people in this diner, maybe even this town, who have -- or, at least, who have and know it."
And Adrian had only 13 years of memories, give or take, to begin with, so that was a decent chunk of it.
Atreli
2013-11-21, 11:08 PM
Eric straightened his shoulders.
" That...is something else, Adrian." He felt Moon lay down at his feet.
" I mean, I've read about these kinds of places in books but I was never allowed to visit any before. They were always described as uneventful or quaint if I remember correctly. "
He paused and smirked.
" 'Too dangerous' they always said."
"Oh, you mean this town? Places like this are bread and butter."
The reminder of the doctor's opinion sent a shiver up Adrian's spine, but he smiled on.
"Ordinary little towns, born from the roads and railroads before them -- just a place for people to stop and rest, and the people who settled down to support that... Because they're on a travel line, it's easy for a carnival to stay a few days. Because there's nothing here, it's the talk of the town and everyone comes to see. Not big crowds, mind, but they keep things running between the big stops."
Atreli
2013-11-27, 01:11 PM
" I guess so. " Eric said with a shrug.
He leaned back and let his telekinetic vision run wild, feeling out every nook and cranny in the place.
Eric's fingers twitched on the table top.
" Is your uncle here yet? Settling down, being exposed like this is a little nerve wracking."
Adrian chuckled.
"He's not my uncle. I don't actually have an uncle...That I know of, anyway."
Adrian got up from the table, leaving money for their bill there.
"And I don't think he's here yet, but we should go wait outside."
Atreli
2013-12-20, 10:32 PM
Eric just nodded, not even relaxing while they were outside.
" I'll feel much better when we're out of the public eye."
Eric just nodded, not even relaxing while they were outside.
" I'll feel much better when we're out of the public eye."
"...That probably won't be for a long time... I mean, we might have to bum it in someone else's trailer, at least for a while."
As they talked, a blue truck drove up. In its seat was an athletic-looking older man, his reddish hair greying and slightly thin on the top. He had a goatee, still mostly red, and was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans.
He parked the car and walked up, his arms out for a hug that Adrian accepted limply at first, then hesitantly returned.
"Ah, Adrian!" He said as he pulled away, "And this is your friend, right? What's your name, kiddo?"
He thrust out a hand and then, realizing that Eric couldn't see it (and unaware of what he could do), he just straight-up took Eric's hand in his and shook it.
Atreli
2013-12-21, 08:05 AM
Eric jumped as their hands made contact. The blurred out faint telekinetic vision of the guy suddenly came in shockingly clear.
Although the things around him became crystal clear on contact he was a bit of a touch me not. Always was.
Even with all the doctors.
He tried to stay level headed, to make lightbulbs burst or windows shatter or anything else of the sort and it paid off.
The only sign of Eric's slight shock was that suddenly all of the gravel at their feet was blown further away into the parking lot.
" Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Eric."
Joe looked down when the gravel shifted. He did let go of Eric, so there's that. He looked down at the crater of slightly-lower gravel.
"That your trick, kid?"
Atreli
2013-12-21, 11:37 PM
Eric backed up a bit in silence.
" Ish."
He paused and said in a quiet shy filled voice.
"It's so much stronger than that though...or at least that's what Adrian says."
"Try 'that's what the doctors say.'" Adrian said, crossing his arms.
"Hmm...Well, we'll see what we can put you to. What's your dog's name?" Joe crouched down and petted Moon, a smile on his face.
Atreli
2014-02-13, 02:20 PM
" This is Moon. She's trained in all sorts of ways if that helps our case."
Eric patted her on the head. moon's tongue fell out of her mouth as she she looked up at him happily.
" But she's been my friend awhile now so that's what I see instead of the bomb squad esque, attack dog skills she has going on that got her to the job of being with me." Eric said with a small laugh.
His words felt jumbled and messy since he had yet to shake off the nervousness.
He fiddled with the edge of his t-shirt, wringing his hands back and forth.
It's okay. It's all okay.
His head jerked up. "BOMB SQUAD?!"
"I said things 'weren't as harmless.' And that's...part of it. She's perfectly gentle with normal people."
Even Adrian looked a little uncomfortable though -- he hadn't known Moon was trained to attack, and to be honest, he was not sure that was not a bad idea.
"I think we can talk more in the car."
"Alright, hop in." He opened a door for Eric.
Atreli
2014-02-13, 04:09 PM
Eric inhaled sharply.
He probably shouldn't have said that...
Crap.
Eric slid into the backseat, a wave of dizziness threatening to overtake him.
He leaned his head on the arm rest.
" I'm sorry. It's just the doctors had to take so many precautions so that I wouldn't hurt anyone." Eric said breathlessly.
Sliding his eyes downward, he sighed heavily.
Boy, this was heading into uncomfortable territory really quickly.
The silence was award for a moment.
"I'll...explain it later. I think if we both talked about it, we'd just end up with a really jumbled account," Adrian said, trying to sooth.
"Actually, the Bomb Squad thing's a bit of an exaggeration. After all... Eric doesn't have any explosives a dog could deactivate. She's more like...An early alert. She'll fetch someone if Eric's having trouble and needs help."
Adrian tried explaining, more true than false: after all, the skills of an actual bomb squad dog would be useless to Eric... But... She'd probably picked up the nickname.
Atreli
2014-02-27, 12:07 AM
Eric nodded. " Y-y-yeah that's about right..."
He didn't know he was wringing his hands so furiously til he heard Moon whine.
" Can we not talk about-about this anymore?" He forced his hands to remain still at his sides. " Please?" He paused. " Wait. Adrian, you've always mentioned how you have no family so how is he your uncle?"
"Well, it's a long story..."
Adrian, too, squirmed in his seat. Joe used a hand to face-palm.
"It aint that long a story, boy. ...Well, maybe it's a little long," he said, winding up. "Now, see, we travel about, by truck and trailer or by train, pretty much all over the place. We'll go for 5, 10 hours without some of us taking a break.
So, about 13 years ago now, I'd been driving across...Maybe 3 or 4 states, for the better part of a day. My truck and Ryan's -- you'll like Ryan, he's quiet, quiet, gentle as a lamb. He does horse shows -- were the first to find our stop for the night. We're letting out Ryan's horses where they've set aside for 'em, and hidden in the hay..."
Here, Adrian smiled, or maybe winced -- it was a difficult to read.
Atreli
2014-03-13, 04:04 PM
Contrary to Adrian's squirming, Eric could feel himself relaxing and enjoying the turn in conversation. He never realized how comforting conversation could be without him being the main topic.
Definitely something to keep in mind later.
" Adrian, don't be like that. Besides it's only fair I get to learn more about you since you know so much about me already. "
"This story's embarrassing. I was just a kid, and...Well. People worry when they hear this, but there's nothing they can do." Adrian shrugs, smiling as if asking forgiveness.
"Well, it is damn mysterious, Adrian...Now, see, we'd had runaways in the past; every kid wants to run away and join the circus sometimes. So I wake him up, ask him the usual questions -- you know, who are you, where are you from, who's your folks, do you know your phone number...
But the thing is, he doesn't know any of that. He just starts crying. No matter what I ask, he just cries and answers 'I don't know, I don't know.' "
This seems to be what Adrian was saying about being embarrassing. Even now, he covered his face.
"He couldn't even tell me his name. Well, I was at a loss. What do you do? Well, I couldn't just call him 'kid' until we figured out where to put him. Well, I'd had an uncle called Adrian, and it seemed like a good name, so it's what popped into my head. 'I'll call you Adrian, then, alright? At least until we get you sorted out.'
And he stopped crying. And he looked at me for a long time, and without a smile, he said,
'Adrian...Thank you. I'll be using that name for a long time.'
And that was when I realized... This kid was creepy as hell."
He laughed like it was a particularly funny and old joke. Adrian chuckled, as if he'd gotten used to appeasing him by laughing.
Atreli
2014-03-16, 07:10 PM
Eric chuckled softly too, finding amusement as he imagined the story play out in his mind.
"Was there ever a time when you were not an enigma Adrian?" He said with a laugh.
"Maybe at some point... But that's a mystery to me."
He shrugs. "Anyway, when I'm at ends, I usually end up finding my way back to his carnival... It's usually a bit less...messy."
He admitted, folding his arms.
Atreli
2014-04-03, 10:05 AM
" Hopefully it will work for us both this time around. " He glanced down for a bit.
" I'm getting awfully tired running around the creation being chased with guns." Eric paused , falling into silence a few moments before going on.
" What happens if we get caught, Adrian? I'm not ready to die yet." Eric winced quickly at the burning sensation that had cropped up in his eyes. in one quick gesture he took off his wraparounds and rubbed at his eyes.
"But there's no way we can run forever...wouldn't it be nice though if we at the very least ran into a familar face?"
He opened his eyes and looked over at Adrian. Through the back seats cushions he was getting an awfully picture image of his friend.
His eyes flashed red before he spoke again. "Ah well, maybe that's just wishful thinking."
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Chaos though had no intention of coming out just yet. For so long he had been locked up in the box, a creation in Eric's mind to keep him completely concealed from the blind boy's mind. Eric could not feel him there nor sense it but he did hold the keys to it. That was the messed up part in all this. Chaos had no control when the box opened.
Due to the stress of being on the road and chased by goons every day, Eric's hold had loosened just enough to crack open his prison a little each day..
No room for escape however...but it did provide access for eavesdropping which was what he up to now.
Eric, I don't care how many people I have to beat up in the future...I'm gonna protect you.
I swear.
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