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Post by Jaydee on Oct 19, 2010 0:27:01 GMT -5
These last few days had been... tiring.
It always got busy at the beginning of school, with new students and schedules and rooms, but this year had been particularly bad. No, not bad - he wanted to socialize, he truly did. Less than a week of it, though, and he was already overwhelmed by all the people. People with their normal teeth and their foreign expressions and their... everything, really. They just bewildered the hell out of him.
At the moment, he was curled up in a dry little corner of the school library, hidden from view by a shelf full of encyclopedias. There were armchairs and a table, and it was relatively warm, and nobody bothered to venture back here most of the time - it was perfect. He sat slouched in his chair, absently flipping through a book on Greek mythology, with an impressive stack of books laying on the table in front of him. The library was like his home within a home; dust-covered books that left your fingers dry, the sounds and smells of shuffling paper, the way dust muffled all sound; familiar things. He was safe here. The soft, quiet air was a welcome break from the obscene amount of people he'd had to interact with this week.
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Ixtlilton
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Post by Ixtlilton on Oct 19, 2010 0:33:55 GMT -5
The beginning of school was always busy. For some more than others. Twelve new school years Jacob had seen come and go, and one of the only things that had remained the same was that in one little corner of the library, you could find an extremely shy, skittish boy who thought he was scarier than he was.
Jacob really didn't even have to consciously decide to go there, either. He found that if he just wandered for an extended period of time, he'd eventually wind up bumping into Zeke. Inevitably. They knew all of each other's hiding places and getaways. The best getaways, by the way. One didn't stay in one castle for a dozen years, unable to leave, without getting to know the layout of the grounds really, really well.
Jacob wasn't surprised when he found Zeke, his nose once again buried in a book, and Zeke probably wasn't too surprised when Jacob tip-toed up behind him and, with a light ruffling noise, covered the sharp-toothed boy's eyes with his wings. It wasn't a very GOOD version of Guess Who, but it was one that Jacob enjoyed.
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Post by Jaydee on Oct 19, 2010 1:32:19 GMT -5
Zeke couldn't help but smile at the familiar little gesture. While it was true that he came here to be alone, some people were exempt from that rule - just one person, really, when you got down to it. His presence didn't require any effort to be social on Zeke's part - twelve years together tended to take care of that for them.
"Jacob, that tickles," he said, laughing, only half-trying to brush the feathers away. He flipped back a bit in his book, having bookmarked the page he wanted before, and held it above his head for his friend to see. "Look. This one looks like you." It was an illustration of the story of Icarus; in this version, the fictional winged boy had dark red hair remarkably similar to that of the real one. Minus the silvery bits, of course. That would have been a little too uncanny.
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Ixtlilton
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Post by Ixtlilton on Oct 19, 2010 1:41:26 GMT -5
Jacob chuckled and flapped his wings back, tucking them comfortably against his back. A feather fell lose and landed on Zeke's lap, but that wasn't exactly unusual. Jacob was a little self-conscious about the fact that his feathers could be found in various places around the school with very little difficulty.
He leaned on the back of Zeke's chair, resting his head on the other boy's and squinting at the book. "Is that Icarus?" he asked. "You're right, he kind of does look like me in that one. Look, his wings get kind of dark reddish at the end, that's almost like mine, right?" he said with a laugh. "Maybe I should do an Icarus costume instead of an angel this year... but people would call me an angel anyway."
He moved his head off of Zeke's and to the side, tilting his head down at the boy. "So, how are you holding up this year?" he asked with a knowing smile. "A lot of new faces."
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Post by Jaydee on Oct 19, 2010 2:33:08 GMT -5
"Probably," Zeke replied, picking up the stray feather and twirling it between his fingers. "Christianity gets all the attention these days, tch." Though to be honest, he preferred Jacob as an angel; it suited him much better than some giddy, oxygen-deprived boy who flew too close to the sun.
He looked up when Jacob moved his head away, barely even registering the contact anymore. Ah, yes, the new faces. "Weeell... good, considering. Having a roommate is kind of weird. He's nice, though. Didn't even seem grossed out when I mentioned the meat or anything - he just went on about all the recipes he wanted to try on me later." He returned Jacob's smile with a shyer one of his own, still unsure of himself when the topic turned to other people. At least he was optimistic, though, after his first few encounters. "I think I talked to more people this week than I did over the entire summer. I'm tired. How do you do it?"
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Ixtlilton
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Post by Ixtlilton on Oct 19, 2010 2:53:47 GMT -5
"It's because they adapt to the new area's beliefs until they become slightly andigynous, then once they have the majority perform a hostile takeover," Jacob said idly, watching the feather twirl. Call him vain, but he though his feathers were quite pretty, even if his wings could be extremely annoying at times. "Plus I've been going as an angel for eleven years and counting. Anyway." He knew that talking theology (or anything else they could get books on) with Zeke would go on for hours... expecially since they were both in the library. They'd never get out alive; they'd be buried in books, term papers, and disertations on the spread of Christianity.
"That's good to hear!" Jacob said, his enthusiasm honest. Zeke needed more friends, a roommate was definitely a step in the right direction. Jacob had to admit to himself that he was worried, though. Zeke was a bit... fragile, and Jacob didn't want to see him get hurt. "He's a chef then, huh? I bet that second year eleventh grader, the young one, will like that. Oh, and the little second year fifth grader, Ramsay. Professor Sin, too, of course."
Jacob smiled and rubbed Zeke's head. "You'll get used to it, Zeke, I promise. Besides, summer is the off season anyway," he added with a wink.
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Post by Jaydee on Oct 19, 2010 3:42:31 GMT -5
Interesting as that conversation sounded, Zeke couldn't help but feel a little relief when Jacob steered them away; he wasn't really in the mood to think. Stories about stupid Greek boys and gossip about their newest classmates were more up his alley today. Even hardcore nerds needed to give their minds a rest every now and then.
He listened to Jake list off other classmates, absently twirling the feather in his hand and recognizing none of them save for Professor Sin. He'd get used to it eventually, but faces had a tendency to blend in with one another after a while and he caught himself referring to them as "the others" more often than not. This year felt like that might change, though. He hoped.
"Soon, I hope," he said, leaning into the older boy's hand just a little. It was only a partially conscious reaction on his part; touching his head in general just tended to make him act without thinking. "This girl, Mika, she started talking to me the other day - I don't really know why - and she managed to coax a little sparrow outside and get him to sit on my finger. She can talk to animals," he explained, staring at the feather as he went on. "I mean, talking to people, living with someone, small animals getting within five feet of me - it's all just really sudden, you know?"
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Ixtlilton
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Post by Ixtlilton on Oct 19, 2010 3:50:11 GMT -5
"Oh, I think I know her. Never talked to her much, I don't think... Yellow eyes, mid length hair, kinda tall for a girl, right? Eleventh grade, I think. Flash, the electrician's, younger sister," he mused. It was hard to keep people straight, especially when he hadn't really talked to them, but he knew the more he knew about the students, the more likely he was to a) be helpful and b) get a job at Ansem after he graduated.
"She seems nice," he said with a smile. Jacob wasn't really consciously rubbing Zeke's head at this point, it just happened. Zeke always loved having his head rubbed, so it happened pretty much every time they were within touching vincinity. "I'm glad you're making more friends. And besides, didn't I tell you? The birds are only scared of you like they're scared of cats. You get a bird and a cat to know each other, and they're just fine. My offer to get you a puppy still stands," he added teasingly. He'd always said Zeke needed a puppy, but the boy had yet to take him up on it.
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Post by Jaydee on Oct 19, 2010 23:38:12 GMT -5
"That's the one." He closed his book and set it aside. "I didn't know he was her brother. They don't look alike... like, at all," he said with a little laugh, still playing with the feather in his hands.
He was still tentative towards his friend's talk of cats and birds; it was all true, yes, but weren't birds afraid of cats for a reason? Most of the smaller animals at Ansembourg weren't afraid to go near students in the search of food, but around him, they just went silent. Still, he appreciated what Jacob was saying. It was true - that little sparrow was willing to stay near him, after all, and Mika's cat seemed all right too...
"She is. And I'll think about it," he said, smiling now. He just wouldn't let up on that puppy, would he? Zeke had never really met a dog before - the largest pets anyone was usually allowed to keep on campus were cats. He'd never really cared for them, which was funny, considering he had some catlike tendencies himself. "Anyways, enough about me. How's it been for you so far? Mr. Abelev putting you on tour duty twenty four seven?"
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Ixtlilton
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Post by Ixtlilton on Oct 20, 2010 0:10:01 GMT -5
"They have the same last name," said Jacob in as non-mocking a manner as he could. Jacob couldn't really blame anyone for not knowing that, let alone Zeke. Who the hell knew the last name of their school's electrician? Jacob, that was who.
Jacob to tired of standing and plopped down on the arm of the chair Zeke was sitting in. He stretched his wing out behind him so that they wouldn't bonk Zeke in the face, even accidentally. He got really tired of hitting people in the head, and he always had to sit at the back of class... annoying.
"Oh, yeah, for the most part. I've given a few new students tours, helped them settle in, that sort of thing. It's been pretty repetitive." He paused. "I tell you what, though, Zeke, there was this one really odd girl. Dmitri asked me to look out for her, so he gave me her file. Apparently she's been living on the streets her whole life, and this is her first time in a school. I think that's why she's so peculiar. But I mean it, Zeke, she's more awkward than YOU," he said with a playful nudge and a wink.
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Post by Jaydee on Oct 20, 2010 1:14:24 GMT -5
Zeke shifted his position in the chair so he could see Jacob better, absently tucking the feather behind his own ear. He didn't want to crush it in his pockets - solution? Behind the ear.
It might have seemed repetitive, but really, Jacob was the best tour guide one could ask for; he knew the place inside and out, he was friendly, and he had a rather obvious mutation. Some newcomers saved a special dislike for those mutants who could easily pass as normal people; Zeke himself had been guilty of it before. The wings were an oddity, but hardly a threatening one, seeing as they were the only thing that really kept Jacob tied down here. The irony.
At least he didn't mind...
"More awkward than me? I didn't know that was possible," he responded in mock surprise. "But seriously, is she... stable? That doesn't sound like a happy story."
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Ixtlilton
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Post by Ixtlilton on Oct 20, 2010 1:48:52 GMT -5
"I know, I know," said Jacob, trying to feign seriousness. "Neither did I." A bit of a smile broke his face, ruining the attempted srsface. Then the conversation turned a little sadder and the smile was gone. He frowned worriedly, rubbing his head.
"Uuuh... Nnn... Well... I'm not really one to make a judgement," he said, his face making enough of one on its own. "Mr. Abelev seems to think she's stable enough to be here, but..." Jacob HAD read her file, and he did know why she was here; she'd all but said it herself. "....It's pretty obvious she's had a rough time of it out there," he said finally. "But most of the people here have, in one way or another. And if Mr. Abelev thinks there's a chance of her being able to fit into normal society, then I have to agree with him. He's been doing this for a long time, after all."
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Post by Jaydee on Oct 28, 2010 18:30:40 GMT -5
Zeke drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, head tilted to the side. He wasn't sure what that expression of Jacob's said about this girl, but it made him curious. Knowing she was strange made her seem more approachable in his mind.
"I'm sure he knows what he's doing. And even if she can't fit in outside, there would still be places underground for her," he mused, letting his head flop from side to side. It was true - there were entire communities for their kind hidden away from the rest of the world. Ansembourg was just one of many. He looked back up at Jake. "What's her power? Do you know?"
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Ixtlilton
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Post by Ixtlilton on Nov 10, 2010 2:56:31 GMT -5
"Yeah," Jacob agreed, nodding. His wings twitched a bit, like the tail of an irritated cat. He kind of hated how they were a little portal to his emotions if one knew what to look for (and Zeke, of course, would). He would know Jacob was nervous, but he wouldn't know why, at least.
"She's... some kind of shifter," he said, hoping that Zeke would just accept that Jacob didn't know the details. He didn't really want to let Zeke know about the gruesome details he'd learned, and it wasn't like it was his place to go spreading it about the school. That sort of thing was private, and Mr. Adelev had only told him because he was supposed to watch out for Laelia.
Plus, there was a kind of eerie similarity between Laelia and Zeke... or maybe between Laelia and what Zeke could have been under similar circumstances, and he definitely, definitely was never going to mention that. Zeke didn't need to knwo that sort of thing. "I'm... not really sure what she turns into. Judging by her hair, I'd say skunk though," he said with a laugh.
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Post by Jaydee on Nov 10, 2010 15:35:52 GMT -5
Indeed, Zeke did recognize the gesture, and raised his eyebrow in response - but nothing more. He didn't understand what there was to be nervous about, but if Jacob wasn't going to tell him then he certainly wasn't going to ask. If it was about the new girl, then it was none of his business.
"Ha, really? Is it all striped? I guess she'll be hard to miss," he replied, choosing to go along with it, though his curiosity was rising by the second. The phrase "curiosity killed the cat" felt rather appropriate; of course, Zeke had no way of knowing that yet. "Here's hoping she starts to adjust here okay."
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