Twisted Fates - Our Hidden HymeTuesday March 20.
As a child music had been a family release, when things were at there worst or best music had always been there to help express their emotions and tell the stories of their hearts. In the Initiative Riley had been deprived of such luxuries, just like many other things that he had lacked growing up. The only escape from the confines of the cold empty world had been his trips to school, Mass.Acadamy was full of life outside of the Initiative and Riley envied the normalcy of the other students.
Not that at the time he would have left the Initiative... no, not Riley, not so easily. He was a good little puppy, house trained and broken in, obedient and loyal, the perfect little soldier. People died and that was Riley's acceptance in life, the struggles to contact his family, who thought him dead at that point, faded in time and focus on his missions and obligations burned almost passionately.
Looking at Riley's classes, at his list of abilities, it wasn't hard to see why Riley prospered so vividly, information was moisture and Riley the sponge! The near on prodigy was skilled in many areas and always a fast learner, if there was a problem is his learning it was usually due to him having a negative view towards it. Like dancing... he couldn't dance, and never learned more then a few steps because he was scared of how horrible he was and what his partner (who usually you try to aim to impress) might say.
Sex was another thing Riley discovered he lacked skill in, well, considering his limited experience it wasn't surprising though his assumption on his imperfection was based on one moment out of their entire relationship.. He loved Catherine but she had a tendency to really let him know when he did something that didn't satisfy her and the yelling hardly motivated him in trying to explore the experience. She always said he was too gentle but he'd rather be careful then hurt her and sometimes it felt as if she expected nothing less then perfection only he couldn't just do everything without practice and just like everything else he needed practice and the chance to get used to her and... why did that seem so much to ask for? Just a chance and the time to grow with her?
It was more enjoying then not for them but it had its moments that just seemed almost awkward, even if they liked the experience they'd usually feel awkward before or after and that just didn't seem right. The subject was something very personal and Rye felt overly shy about it, being his first and only having been with her int hat manner for so few amount of times meant that it would only be expected that he needed time to figure out how to best handle a girls body, he never had any experience or any talks or anything to do with such matters and purposefully avoided special sex-ed classes out of extreme shyness.
The thing that got to him, really deep down in the back of Riley's mind and barely even registered as a thought, if Catherine hadn't insisted to take things further in the Initiative base then Riley would never had have made such intimate moves. Always the kind of guy very private and serious with his body, he liked to take his time and not make mistakes with people and he always wanted to make sure it was a girl he really cared about and that in turn really cared about him. It was silly, the relationship was too new and they set their own trap because they were still learning to be friends and yet so much more was expected in a relationship. Both had their issues and if Riley hadn't thought he'd never see her again and that he was dying then he'd never have agreed. Catherine wasn't the first girl to try and push him but she was the first girl he felt fond enough to go that distance with but even so it had been selfish of him to agree for the reasons he had and part of Riley would always be guilty for it.
It was their flaw in many ways, even though their friendship still grew the trails they faced only hindered what would otherwise have promised to be such a strong bond. The ties they were forming were still too new to take the strains they faced and the need to take a step back was always done in a manner that involved Catherine being as far as a state or so away from him. When he was here, she was in Washington, when he was in Iowa, she run away here. And like the loyal puppy he was he'd follow her, devoted to a point he couldn't quite understand and yet never wanted to challenge. Love was there.. he could feel it, and she needed him just as much as Riley needed Catherine, they could be perfect together, if only they had the chance to grow strong enough to support each other before yet another trauma tried to break them apart.
With a few songs now under Riley's belt already it meant his vocals were warmed up and ready, his heart associating every word with a meaning of his own. His voice strong and yet gentle, the keyboard he sat at set to the sounds of a piano, his fingers running along the keys to play the song's music as he song.
"I would like to visit you for a while," Just to be there near her, to have her close, to hold her, not even that if she wasn't ready, but be near her, just her company.. "Get away and out of this city," Away from everything! From their pasts, the school, the government.. just take up a new life for a moment in time and get away from it all. "Maybe I shouldn’t have called but someone had to be the first to break," And it seemed if it wasn't him, then it wouldn't be her... six months in Washington...six months and she says she intended to call him. When? A few years from now, when she got settled? Married? When? He waited everyday for her and she never returned, after promising never to leave she did and it hurt.
"We can go sit on your back porch, relax, talk about anything, it don’t matter," Speaking with Catherine was both a blessing and a curse.. if she decided to yell at him it was heart breaking..but if she spoke nicely to him it was heart melting. They needed to learn to talk more and Riley knew it was just as much his fault as hers that they never took the proper chances to speak about pointless things.. little things.. even important things. "I'll be courageous if you can pretend that you've forgiven me," So many mistakes.. so many things he blamed himself for and rightly so as far as Riley cared.. The initiative had been a nightmare for Catherine and it was his fault she mixed with the agency.
"Because I don’t know you anymore," If he ever knew her in the first place... god sometimes he felt he knew everything and other times as if Catherine was nothing more then a stranger. "I don’t recognize this place," So many memories he knew were either blurred or lost of his life, so many things he couldn't be sure about, fake memories so obvious and yet still seemed just as real as any other... but Catherine was real.. wasn't he real for her? "The picture frames have changed and so has your name, we don’t talk much anymore" Did they ever really get to talk though? They had tried once.. it was awkward despite the importance and anything personal was bound to cause and upset with Catherine, which made things hard..
"We keep running from the pain," and there was so much pain to run from, they'd never stand a chance to get away from it, only face it, and they could do that together if only they were strong enough.. if only she'd let him in and let him be there with her. "But what I wouldn’t give to see your face again," The way she used to look at him..the way that said she wanted him close, that she cared..
"Springtime in the city, always such relief from the winter freeze," Things were ok now.. if you could call what he was going through ok, heart attack and soon to come operation aside, and drugs.. and Catherine semi-avoiding him.. other then all that hurt he was ok.. "The snow was more lonely than cold, if you know what I mean." The fingers moved skilfully over the keyboard.. a month’s lesson and it stuck with him well, as always.. just a little time and patience and Riley was well off on his own.
"Everyone’s got an agenda don’t stop," They both did things selfishly at times, even if it was unintentional.. they loved each other but they were human still. They made mistakes... god did they make so many mistakes..and still were... and would keep doing so till they learn to speak to each other. "Keep that chin up you’ll be all right," Somehow he'll make sure of that.. Catherine deserved everything he could give her and so much more.
"Can you believe what a year it’s been," He couldn't.. hell anyone told of their year would think it was right out of a twisted daytime TV series. "Are you still the same?" The former agent wasn't so sure.. she'd grown in many ways but as much as she's built more as probably been shattered in the wake of the horrors she's faced. "Has your opinion changed?" Did she still love him? If ever... could she again? More truly? More deeply? Was this what they were doomed to repeating forever and again or would they eventually learn from the strains they face in their relationship.. would she just give up on him? Sometimes it seemed like Catherine would be better off doing that.. leaving for good and telling him not to find her. It had happened before, when Claire left him...it had hurt then, but it'd hurt more now, he loved Catherine.. He loved her, but he didn't want to keep hurting her.
"Cause I don’t know you anymore, I don’t recognize this place. The picture frames have changed and so has your name," The microphone that helped blend both the voice and the keys melodies added a nice effect. Country music would definitely be Riley's stronger points, the soft folk songs and half spoken melodies would suit his voice perfectly but he was good with pouring his emotions into his words which made his lyrics come alive, even if his voice didn't strike the very core of ones sole on their own right, the emotion and heart of every word definitely carried a weight to be felt.
"We don’t talk much anymore, we keep running from these sentences. But what I wouldn’t give to see your face again." The words that followed seemed to be filled with slightly more conviction and his emotions betrayed the pain of guilt he felt. "I know I let you down," And she told him if he wasn't sure.. "Again and again.. I know I never really treated you right," Not that he ever intentionally hurt her but the unintentional pain he caused was more then enough for a lifetime.
"I've paid..." The music seemed to falter slightly, Riley’s voice trailed a little before his hands continued to play the music again, taking a small breath to continue more firmly with his words. They were only words... but they still hurt. "I've paid the price, I’m still paying for it every day." Things always seemed to happen as if a form of punishment for him.. "So maybe I shouldn’t have called, was it too soon to tell? Oh what the hell!" He couldn't help the way he felt and if she didn't give him clear-cut answers Riley couldn't bring himself to walk away, not if staying meant he had a chance with her again.
"It doesn’t really matter," Yes it did.. god it mattered so badly but he'd never admit that, not to her, not if she was so silly to just turn her back on him. "How do you redefine something that never really had a name?" Were they dating or not? Monday the 12th she had said she still liked him, one his birthday she had returned to his room and they only goofed around and nothing overly serious but it didn't seem as if they were together..not with the way she acted around him and how he felt around her, so awkward and unsure.
"Has your opinion changed? Because I don’t know you anymore. I don’t recognize this place, the picture frames have changed and so has your name." The song was coming to an end and Riley was almost glade, he wasn't sure he could handle any more of this.. it was all too much, the uncertainty of his relationship with the girl he cared so much for.
"We don’t talk much anymore, we keep running from the pain. But what I wouldn’t give to see your face again.." The student teacher continued playing on the keyboard, his voice dropping to a soft whisper as he finished the final two lines. "I see your face.. I see your face." There was a moment the fingers continued playing, repeating the final bar one more time before slowing down to a stop.. the hazel gaze now downcast on the white keys, his fingers numbly pressing down on the key to produce a random sound, and again.. Followed by a sigh as Riley closed his eyes and moved the mic away.
The day was one that was devoid of classes, at least until after lunch. This, however, was something that Aiden Constantine was not exactly looking foreword to. It seemed that every moment that he was not in class, something bizarre or threatening would occur. Max Chadstone had nearly begun a fight Aiden's first day in front of General Science, he had frightened off a couple attackers from Frost (A girl he had no doubt would have rather him not having been present at all to come to her assistance) in the Outer Grounds, and he had been starting to see visions of his deceased brother David. The only non-traumatizing thing that had occurred thus far was his morning encounter with Eliza, a kind mutant who had welcomed him to the Institute warmly. He halfway wondered if he would ever hear from her again.
But, as seemed to have been the usual as of late, Aiden had been lacking in the friends department. He was still in his first week of classes, and had yet to actually get to know many of the people that he shared the halls and dormitories with. Thus, the Constantine youth had receded into his old habits, hauling his Viper-100FM guitar over his back with a shoulder strap through the halls, looking for a decent place to sit down and begin strumming.
Besides the instrument on his back, Aiden had attempted to appear a bit more 'normal' this day, at least in regards to his dress. As always, he wore a black t-shirt, which fit well over his sculpted chest, and a light brown long sleeve shirt over top of that, hanging open comfortably. His dark hair hung loose again, framing his marble toned face, the strands hanging wildly, somehow managing to look unkempt, but not in an unattractive manner. On his lower half he bore a pair of old dusty blue jeans, not overly baggy, but loose enough to fit with the running theme of supreme comfort. His feet still sat in his heavy black boots, which thudded lightly as he strode through the near empty hallways. It was early in the day, but late enough that most of the students were in their first period classes. Doors he passed were full of youths that were being filled with knowledge...or being bored to death, instructors giving vivid lectures and relaying tomes of experience to their audiences.
It all passed by Aiden. His mind was in so many places. Was Frost going to recover completely from her attack? Would the Chadstone bully ever learn to keep his mouth shut? Would Aiden, for that matter, stop letting his temper get the best of him and allowing his death field to loose? What was Eliza up to? ...What were his parent's thinking about right now?
...Where was Vivian?
Thoughts of his lost sister made his boot steps fall faster, unconsciously. His sibling was out there.. somewhere, perhaps in trouble. There was nothing Aiden could do about it now, he knew, but the thought still lingered. Warm copper eyes sought out directions on a bulletin board, searching through a fairly well drawn map of the school.
"Music room, eh? Not that far from where I am." Thantos' mind was made up quickly, and he began to stride down the corridors that would take him to the Arts area. The trip did not take long at all, and upon nearing the room, he could make out piano music. The death elemental slowed his march, taking the time to listen as he approached. Aiden did not recognize the song off hand, although the voice did sound familiar. It was a sad tune, borne of all the things that could go wrong with a relationship. He swallowed. Usually, when a person would sing a song as this, with this much passion, there was a reason. Coming up to the door, he leaned his marble-toned forehead against the hardwood frame that surrounded the door's window. Copper eyes peered through, and spied a familiar figure, playing with enthusiasm within the Music Room.
"Riley?"
As Aiden stood and watched for another moment, he realized that the student teacher was on the verge of crying. Thoughts rolled through his head over this, but due to his musical background, Constantine also realized another thing that cut through the sorrow of the piece. He was good. It was obvious that he'd become very emotionally involved in the work, but it translated very well, the man hitting notes and managing things with his voice that Aiden would have never guessed possible from him. He seemed more an athlete to Thantos than an artist, but this was not the first time that he would find himself incorrect.
Waiting until the end of the song, the aura-bound mutant let out a small sigh. Riley had pushed the mic away, and his gaze was downtrodden. Something was bothering him intensely, and he had seen the results of such hard emotions before. They usually were not pretty. A man didn't come to a room to play a song alone, that spilled his innermost pains and secrets without having reached quite a delicate point. Aiden decided on the spot that someone should not be left alone to such a fate.
Knocking lightly twice, out of respect, Constantine reached down and turned the door's knob. Opening the portal slowly, he poked his head through and leveled a friendly smile to the student teacher.
"Hey... Riley, right? That was really good.
He hoped that this simple entrance would both put Riley at ease, and allow him to try to cheer the downtrodden man up. As always, Thantos found himself caring about the feelings of others before himself. His own problems could wait. Someone else needed a hand right now.
Re: Twisted Fates - Our Hidden Hyme
There may as well have been a class of students raging into the room as far as Riley’s reaction went, his eyes snapping over towards the door and the apprehension of company leaving both a tense expression and a few tight knots in his stomach. The face however was not one that he recognized readily enough, there was a day where any student, especially the new ones, would be well known to Riley, their entire lives written across pages of files sent to him and all he needed to do was flip through a couple of pages. Perhaps it had been the key to his success as far as making so many friends so easily, he instantly knew where people were coming from and what sort of things they were interested in, but as soon as he was no longer an agent receiving such information he felt detached and clueless. Riley was far too used to going in knowing every aspect of what he was going to face, and the sudden change to solo flying with things even as simple as meeting new people was a shock that had only helped take it’s toll on his body with the recent heart attack and the lead up to it.
The face came to him, they had classes together, the friendly smile caused an automatic reply as Riley faintly returned one, though it barely formed the curves in the corners of his mouth. Back home music was important, it was more then communication it was entertainment and a show of affection, it was everything that was good and a doorway to ones heart, their hopes, their dreams, a tale woven in melodies and rhyme. That was taken from him at 13, with so many other things… his entire life was robbed of him, not even music was part of his teenage years. Books, games, songs, none of it mattered, if it didn’t hold knowledge of untold ages than it shouldn’t be taking up his precious time. Those were the rules… a law that was unspoken and yet ever present. He was trained, conditioned, toughed, there was little Riley could not do where combat and combat equipment were concerned, and yet he couldn’t even walk into a store to restock his fridge. He couldn’t say the right things, he couldn’t express the right things, people always got put off by him, he could see it, the way Hank strained at times, the doctors patience waning, the way Catherine snapped so readily, the way people just turned their backs and walked away from the farm born youth, Claire had done it, so had Catherine! Even Ben, his own cousin, his only close friend, there was nothing of that friendship left now, only hate, misguided hate and unjust disgust that hurt more than any words Ben could ever say.
"Hey... Riley, right? That was really good." It was a compliment, and Riley really did appreciate it but he found himself awkwardly getting to his feet, lost on how to reply, did he acknowledge the compliment, would that appear arrogant? Or did he let it pass gracefully… what if that seemed as if the former agent was ignoring Aiden’s comment? You had to be so careful with your words out here, things weren’t so simple, back in the Initiative it was always ‘well done’ or ‘good job’. Straight and too the point, there was no sweet talk, it was there, bold and loud and no need for a reply. You talk when someone asks a question and they expect a short and precise reply… those rules don’t belong here though, that mannerism didn’t belong. He used to be well liked by people… what happened? As long as he did his job right they respected him, as long as he handled himself they treated him well… there was that six month span where he locked himself away, that probably had something to do with it… he was such an idiot, he didn’t know why he let things effect him the way they did but at the same time he couldn’t change how he reacted to things… Especially Catherine just up and leaving him, she promised she’d not leave and then she left, he didn’t remember anything, the Initiative tried to take away what little Riley had left and she had been the only comfort he had in this horribly alien world. And since her return she hadn’t once asked how he was going… she didn’t know he still couldn’t remember things, she didn’t know he still got confused about which memories were real and which were implanted.
"Thank you," The words weren’t rushed, curious surprise seemed to infect the tone as readily as his nerves. "I was just goofing around, last year I spent a few months learning different instruments and I was just touching up so I don’t forget, if you need the room it’s all yours." Some people who were serious with their music preferred to be on their own if possible, and Riley respected that just as he preferred to be on his own when he went target practicing to keep in training with his aim, though he slacked the last two weeks.
If there was one thing that set Riley apart it had to be his ability to soak up experience like a sponge, his photographic memory and near on limitless pool of natural talent had been one of the only reasons Riley had survived the years that he had in the Initiative, where others fell victim to death, Riley hadn’t. Not that the former agent even found a blessing in that, if anything he was more troubled by the simple fact he had lived when others in his command had not, even when he tried so hard to hammer into them what was right and wrong. There were often times where Riley didn’t realize just how different he was compared to others, he knew some people were more adapt at certain things then others, but he didn’t realize how they struggled… Than again, they’d never realize how he struggled over the simple things, where they envied him, he also envied them. At least they would walk into a store, look at the ample choices laid at before them and fearlessly choose one, there was no fear in their action, no sever doubt or uncertainty. They knew what they wanted, and they got it. Riley on the other hand could stand staring at the collection of eggs, from all the different farms, and all the different names, and wonder which egg was right, what happened if he chose the wrong egg. Show him a demon, he’ll take it down without batting an eye, leave him in a store with a shopping list, he’d be able to stand there all day, until ushered out at closing time. It was so much easier when they were given their food to eat, when their diet was made up and nothing changed. Even the ample choices of meals at the canteen was enough to unnerve the former agent, who usually made a habit of grabbing only the first plate that catches his eye.
All Riley needed was time, the only problem was that so far no one had really given Riley the time and patience he needs to open up, people had a nasty habit of vanishing on him, or using him… Riley still wasn’t entirely sure which was worse.
Re: Twisted Fates - Our Hidden Hyme
Judging by the reactions and mannerisms of the older male, Aiden realized he had probably really surprised Riley. Again, this lent further evidence that something was bothering him. People always did act more surprised when you found them in the middle of something personal, then for them to realize all of a sudden that they're not alone. The Constantine youth just hoped that he had entered the picture in a graceful enough way to keep the student teacher from utterly despising him. He had nearly lost his cool in front of him last week, with the incident with Max Chadstone, and Aiden was fairly sure that Riley had seen it. Still, he had managed to force himself back down, and he hoped that counted for something.
"Thank you. I was just goofing around, last year I spent a few months learning different instruments and I was just touching up so I don’t forget, if you need the room it’s all yours."
Riley stood, uneasily taking the compliment. There was something else... something different that Aiden noticed. The type that had always been a natural empath, he saw that the other man was strangely out of place, like he really didn't know what to do. He had seen the type before in other situations. He'd seen a boy that'd never been around pets or animals stare down, arms at his sides, quizzically at a puppy that sat on his lap, paws on his chest and begging for attention. This however, was a lack of insight on how to deal with people. It seemed as if Riley was talking more to himself, working the words out vocally that he though he -should- say, as opposed to actually speaking to the mutant across the room from him. Aiden wondered what kind of lifestyle had prompted such a personality.
He didn't have time to think on that very long, as it seemed Riley was about to head up and head out of the door. Finding him wanting to put the man at ease, he raised his hand just a bit.
"Oh no, it's fine. I wouldn't mind the company." Crossing into the room, Thantos concentrated, forcing his aura down into the little mental box he had created in the middle of his chest. Aiden extended his hand to Riley for a handshake, "I'm Aiden. I have General Science with Mrs. Summers on Fridays, I remember you there. Great job on dealing with that Chadstone kid, by the way. You took him down a peg or two."
This was accompanied by his trademark warm smile. It was obvious back there that the bully had been trying to get the better of Riley, and yet he had held himself in check well. Given the right circumstances, it seemed that Riley could be very confidant, just not in friendly ones...
After the handshake, Aiden carefully shrugged the Viper FM-100 off of his shoulders and into his hands. Turning, he found a decent amp and sat on it, reaching around to connect the chord from speaker to guitar.
"You've got a voice on you, Riley. I'm honestly surprised to find you helping teach at a school instead of playing professionally."
A few strums sounded in the quiet room, the death elemental turning knobs and adjusting settings. It seemed that whoever had last used this had really rocked out, the distortion turned up to heavy-metal proportions. The first notes sounded overly-harsh and Aiden couldn't help but laugh, before playing with the equalizer and distortion effects until the notes calmed into an acoustic sound. Perhaps on a different day he would wish to let out some frustrations and scream at the top of his lungs, but today he felt very calm, and one thing that was always a constant with Thantos was that his music reflected his soul. An old Stone Sour song came to mind, partially due to Riley's state...
...and Aiden missing Vivian terribly.
"I'm looking at you through the glass
Don't know how much time has passed
Oh God it feels like forever
But no one ever tells you that forever
Feels like I'm sitting all alone inside your head
How do you feel, that is the question
But I forget, you don't expect an easy answer
When something like a soul becomes initialized And folded up like paper dolls and little notes
You can't expect to bitter folks
And while you're outside looking in
Describing what you see
Remember what you're staring at is me
'Cause I'm looking at you through the glass
Don't know how much time has passed
All I know is that it feels like forever
When no one ever tells you that forever
Feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head
How much is real, so much to question
And never dare make up the mannequins
Contaminating everything
When thought came from the heart
It never did right from the start
Just listen to the noises
(No more sad voices)
Before you tell yourself
It's just a different scene
Remembering is just different from what you've seen..."
Turning up the volume slightly with the back of his heel, Aiden also brought the pace up. The song brought many things to his mind. He saw David looking down at him, angry and disgusted. He saw the same thing happening to all Mutants, the world of humanity glaring angrily at the differences, internal and external, of people that were really just like them... just different. He remembered the few times that he had ever been in love, back in high school before the world had gone horrible. Aiden recalled brightly how it felt to be heartbroken, and this reflected clearly in his voice, the tiniest hints of a growl behind it now. His voice rose, not caring if anyone else heard him. Let the notes carry.
"I'm looking at you through the glass
Don't know how much time has passed
And all I know is that it feels like forever
When no one ever tells you that forever
Feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head
And it's the stars
The stars that shine for you
And it's the stars
The stars that lie to you..."
Aiden kept strumming, repeating the refrain a few more times, letting the soul-cleansing roll over him. All of a sudden, he remembered that Riley was still there with him, and gave a little glance up, kindness still in his copper eyes, and a small smile. Music was healing, Aiden knew. He just hoped that he could help heal Riley, even a little, the lyrics touching the Death Elemental profoundly, and hopefully touching Riley just as much.
Re: Twisted Fates - Our Hidden Hyme
A hand rose in a gesture for Riley to remain, there was something comforting just by the fact that Commander Halliwell used to always tell them to remain still or silent with the same gesture, or a more exaggerated one. Professor Walsh just glared, her eyes like daggers when someone did something that displeased her. Riley's former psych teacher always had this ability to speak with her expressions and there was something so demanding in her eyes that Riley had always found intimidating as a child and it remained with him to this day.
"Oh no, it's fine. I wouldn't mind the company." So....he couldn't leave, but he wasn't sure what to do if he stayed either. Riley's thumbs seemed to idly slip into his jean pockets as he stood there, somewhere between awkward and relaxed in stance as Riley tried to figure out what should be done next. It seemed he was saved from making the first move as Aiden held out his hand, an introduction was to come and Riley reached out to meet the offered hand.
"I'm Aiden. I have General Science with Mrs. Summers on Fridays, I remember you there. Great job on dealing with that Chadstone kid, by the way. You took him down a peg or two." Another compliment, it's been so long since he got them and especially lately with all the trouble he's been in... it's not to get praise even if he wasn't entirely sure if he was supposed to show gratitude or let them slide.. If he thanked every compliment he'd be saying 'thank you' as often as he found himself saying 'sorry'. Aiden gave a smile and while Riley catch sight of it he was also distracted with trying to make sure that he wasn't holding the other's hand too tight.. or too loose. Some people complained he was too strong, Catherine complained he was too gentle... not that his tenderness towards her was disliked but it still didn't help ease her, she had moments where she'd feel intimidated by his hight since she wasn't that tall and Riley was over 6 feet.
Hazel eyes watched the guitar slip from Aiden's shoulders and from there the younger student made his hands busy by hooking it up to the speakers. Riley hadn't really seen people use it like that before and he watched with an interest as Aiden fixed up his instrument.
"You've got a voice on you, Riley. I'm honestly surprised to find you helping teach at a school instead of playing professionally." Now Riley stared almost taken back by the comment, it was starting to have an air of intimidation all these praises. Usually you get well rewarded when something bad was going to happen and they tried pampering you as if that was some form of bribery. Work had been on Riley's mind for a year now, wondering what kind he'd be part of now that he left the Initiative, he tried the police, and while it was good Catherine didn't seem too impressed with the idea.. he could tell by the way she acted when he left his apartment in Washington and she had that expression on her face that made him want to tell her he'd stay home instead. It was his last day though so he had to do in and finish things off. Then there was that time in the basketball team, and while he did well he was always getting told off for not posing in the calanders that the rest of the team tried setting up in order to raise funds. Team shots were ok, but shirtless shots and things like that, he didn't like those sort of things, and it upset him that people got upset at him because of that.
Notes humed i the silence that settled and Riley was finding himself intrigued by the simple fact that the amp was helping enhance the music Aiden was testing. They were too loud and Riley was ok with listening to a few loud things but he didn't prefer them, he much rathered the softer things, something he could sing along to and make out the words, heavy metal wasn't really his thing but there would be the occasion song of that type that catches his attention.
To be honest, even as Aiden readied himself, Riley hadn't expected that he'd play anything, not with riley standing there, to him he'd feel far too exposed to sing in front of others... at least.. he felt anxious when he sang to Catherine once and she hadn't really said anything, but they were having a lot of problems and so he supposed she wasn't in the frame of mind to be all mushy. That was up in Iowa, she had her ups and downs up there but.. mostly she was withdrawn and angry, that and she was pregnant with Riley's child, so emotions were high for all sorts of reasons. Even now he couldn't quite figure Catherine out, first she's screaming about how much she hates him and the baby, and the next she's saying that it was all steam, she didn't mean it.. but if she kept saying thigns she didn't mean, how did he know what was true?
Riley stared at Aiden, rather lost in his own thoughts as the music played, he always got so nostalgic lately, especially with the surgery coming up, Riley was feeling confined with his restrictions and confused with Catherine's distance.. At times she'd be happy being around him, other times it looked like she was awkward, which made him awkward, he'd give anything to skip down the halls and bawl her over happily, but he wasn't sure if she'd yell at him or not and so he always approached and spoke with an air of caution.
Riley sat down, his knees more folding beneath him as if suddenly realizing that he was still standing up and doing nothing but...well... standing. The use of the amp was still interesting and Riley was finding himself intently watching Aiden as he handled his guitar and the way he worked the amp. Even as Aiden finished Riley's eyes remained somewhat distant in his thoughts while also struggling to figure out how the other student used the strange additions he attached his guitar to. Riley had nothing to really go by, not watching TV and not seeing performances, Catherine and Connor got him a few CDs for his birthday and for Christmas but that was a rather restricted collection to try and judge someone by... they were all so different as well.
"Do you have songs put on CDs?" The former agent wasn't entirely sure how people went about putting their music on CDs and since he knew some people could record thigns and put them on CDs or such he figured that's what people generally did and they got some place to sell them... one of his old friends goes to the Dying star to sing, amongst other people, but Riley never contemplated going to do such things, even if he loved his music, he always practiced on his own, usually in his room.
Re: Twisted Fates - Our Hidden Hyme
Eventually, Aiden's strumming ended, the amplifier carrying the final chords across the sound-dynamic room. The lyrics of Cory Taylor, the artist that had composed the song twenty odd years ago, floated in the air for a long time as well, the power of the spoken word never losing it's influence. It, once again, appeared to hold true as Riley brought himself to a seat quickly. He'd been touched, Aiden saw, but he could only hope that it had been for the better. When the student teacher did speak, it was in a manner that Constantine wasn't expecting.
"Do you have songs put on CDs?"
Riley had been eyeing the amp he sat upon, and more than likely had not seen his brand of music before. This pleased Aiden, as hearing a new sound, thinking a new kind of thought, and seeing something completely different was always good for a human being. It broadened horizons. His words were a compliment to Thantos' music and he acknowledged it with a small smile, but his expression froze when his mind followed the series of thoughts and events that would come from a full explanation. There was a long uneasy stretch of silence as Aiden deliberated wether or not to tell Riley.. or anyone here for that matter... what was on his mind. The answer, however, was there instantly when he looked for it. Pain, regardless of how deep, was always easier to manage if shared. It was long past due that Aiden trusted someone here, and though he did not know why, but Riley seemed the sort that he could trust.
So, with a slow intake of air, a determined look upon his face, and a futile brush that the rebellious strands that fell over his left eye, Aiden Constantine began to speak.
"Yeah... I did, at one point. I suppose they're still there, if my old computer at home hasn't been destroyed by now."
A quick glance up from the floor to Riley's eyes made short work of discovering that the Death elemental was in sore need of further explanation. He was curious, and there was no reason not to be. Aiden had opened the door, and he might as well let it all go now. Hopefully, if nothing else, this would help the student teacher with some of his own problems as it might.. just might.. help Aiden.
"In high school, my sister and I were in a band together... We made a lot of nice music. We won a good deal of talent shows and had our plans of moving out of the suburbs and into Houston... great music scene there. But... we never got the chance.."
Giving a quick glance around, Aiden saw a small potted plant left on the windowsill near him. The poor thing seemed to have been forgotten, this section of the mansion never getting the sun that a plant would require, and it was half wilted as it was. Stretching a hand towards it, Constantine let his aura free and directed it as best he could at the small flower. The air chilled and his eyes glowed slightly, the barest hints of black flame appearing around his body. That small display was nothing compared to the sight of the small flower quickly shriveling, the head falling off the now brown and wrinkled seedling, and all but turning to ash.
With a determined sigh, he pulled his aura back within his body and rose his eyes back up at Riley.
"I have this...thing inside me. It's...Death. It's almost as if it has a mind of it's own. That's my "Mutant Power". A lot of times I can control it, keep it from doing anything but sometimes..."
A very long breath. This had to be done.
"I had a brother... David. We always had a bit of sibling rivalry, but nothing that serious. He was a football player and I was a guitar player... so we fell into different crowds. One morning, I caught him with steroids.. and I think he was on something else at the time. He... attacked me. I don't think he was thinking straight. Wanted to make sure I wouldn't tell Dad... and.. It got out. He was... holding me down and hitting me and... getting weaker the whole time. I couldn't stop him. It was right in the middle of the halls at school too. Everyone saw. Even Vivian, my sister."
Another breath. This was hard. He took another few draws of air to compose himself.
"I snuck back home to see Vivian one last time, and to get the rest of my things... I knew I couldn't stay. I snuck in the window and she met me... I tried to appologize, but she stopped me. Told me she was a mutant too. Apparently so was our Grandmother... but we didn't get that far along. Police broke in. Grabbed me and Viv..."
Here came the worst part. The youth shifted in his seat, relaying his pain to the student teacher across the room. This far into the story, he couldn't stop now. It was past time more than just a few teachers knew.
"She yelled at our parents as we went downstairs. That they'd take us to a lab or kill us... My dad just kept saying how this was for our own good... We had to be put down, y'know. We're monsters." A quick sigh. "They threw Viv into a car and tried to do the same with me... but... it got out again. I let it. Three cops... died... and I had to watch them drive off with my sister."
There it was. Now it came easier.
"I was on the news. Mutant Terrorist. I had to keep moving..and I found the Institute online. Talked to Mrs Summers over the net... I couldn't risk the phones... and she sent someone out to get me. So... here I am... Hiding and looking for her."
All the words had left Aiden. He was talked out. The boy just sat there, eyes on the floor, a guitar in his lap, hoping that he hadn't just blabbed the tale of his path here to the wrong person. He suspected he hadn't but one could never be completely sure. More than anything though, he hoped that this could help Riley through whatever it was that was torturing him so. If Aiden had shown the nerve to tell him his story.. perhaps that would inspire Riley to be just as open.
Re: Twisted Fates - Our Hidden Hyme
For a moment Riley had wondered if his question had been too personal or upsetting, it was hard to judge how people would react to things and while Riley tended to rehearse half of what he said, even if it was merely a moment beforehand of going over it in his head, the former agent still couldn’t be assured that everything would run smoothly. People were strange, and some reacted to even the simplest of things in a overly emotional manner. Emotions were still something Riley was getting used to feeling himself, while he’d never been totally robbed of them the drugs that were now being cleared from his systems had done a decent job of numbing them for the last half of his life.
It never really occurred to the former soldier that his emotions were restrained, as he always felt things, anger when demons toyed with him, annoyance when other soldiers weren’t following simple orders… Riley may not remember a lot of things, and lot more may be blurred, but since the memory of Newman returned it refused to go away. That naïve stubborn kid and his stupid red headband, in the kids mind it helped keep sweat from his eyes, but damn it, how many times had Riley said to get rid of it, it was a flag for attention, and sure enough the kid got noticed, red in a sea of green and muddy brown, how could it not get noticed? Frustration was being replaced with guilt though, a guilt towards the fact that Riley could have just snatched that stupid thing off Newman’s arm or head or wherever he had chosen to have worn it that particular time, throw it to the grown and stomp it into the mud.
Emotions were hard, hard to deal with and hard to face, for Riley they were also near impossible to try and figure out. The silence that filled the space between Riley’s question and Aiden’s reply wasn’t really felt by the older student teacher, who’s mind side tracked easily with concern that such a seemingly simple question would cause any number of emotions, and since Riley spent so much time with Catherine he related emotional outbursts as the most common of reactions, having Aiden starting to scream at him was hardly an appealing thought. A hand, strong from years of hard work, rested over the finely toned stomach that was obscured by the fabric of Riley’s top, tension caused a knot to twitch inside his stomach, too used to Catherine’s extremes to be able to not react with such anxiety and apprehension.
"Yeah... I did, at one point. I suppose they're still there, if my old computer at home hasn't been destroyed by now." Destroyed? Growing up in the Initiative, Riley had a laptop to work with, and while he wrote out all his work reports as well as school assignments on the portable computer, he also wrote journal entries, everything would get backed up onto the Initiative’s mainframe but monthly the individual computers would get wiped of nonessential data. Privacy wasn’t something Riley grew up with but at the same time he was a very private person, forced to keep a secret for so long and the lengths people went to in order to make sure that their agents didn’t spill any secrets helped keep Riley from being able to open up, even over the last year when he’s longed to tell someone of the faculty, despite his fears of doing so, and yet whenever he got to someone to talk, it never seemed to come out.
Odd… Riley paused for a moment with his thoughts of computers and wondered what risks Aiden’s computer would be under, most people didn’t worry about things like their computers getting attacked or damaged, was something wrong with Aiden’s home that would risk his property getting destroyed? Some mutants had terrible family bonds, some just had other siblings who couldn’t control their powers… but maybe it was something else? If Riley was still obtaining the files of anyone who arrived at the school then he’d know what Aiden was on about, but Riley decided against trying to pull any strings in order to keep receiving the files even if he’s left the Initiative. So many new people and all with unknown histories, it was a really hard thing to get used to and even if Riley was getting used to not knowing these things it didn’t mean he was coping well with it.
"In high school, my sister and I were in a band together... We made a lot of nice music. We won a good deal of talent shows and had our plans of moving out of the suburbs and into Houston... great music scene there. But... we never got the chance.." Having seen so many things by now, even if to some Riley was still incredibly young, he felt so old in the sense he’d seen so much compared to so many others. And death wasn’t the worst he’d seen, but loss, whatever kind of loss that may be, Riley knew that well enough to sympathise, he knew it well enough to know that this tale would be one of loss, and that it was probably one of the first few times, if not the first, that Aiden was speaking of it. It was always a source of envy for Riley, to see others open up and deal with things he found so near on impossible to do himself.
While Riley was willing to listen, it appeared to the young man that the other had gotten distracted, crimson eyes now focused on a plant, an outstretched hand soon telling Riley that something was going to happen and sure enough whatever remaining strength in the frail flower was sucked right out of the poor thing. First thing on the former agents mind was Scott, the fairy would have been devastated by the act, life was precious to the winged Prince, whatever life it may be and the enchanted being had gone out of his way to form a collection of plants in his room to help keep his connection with nature close. Riley saw Scott nearly shed tears at one point when some students took pleasure in ripping out a large section of one of the many gardens and throwing the delicate flowers at one another. Such tender innocence, Riley wasn’t the only one who’d go out of his way to help protect the fairy from such things, regardless if in general the harm done was considered serious or not, if it upset Scott, then his friends usually couldn’t bare to stand around and let it continue.
A power of draining life from plants… or in general? One could never be so sure, and Riley found himself wondering how one lived with that knowledge, not that Riley couldn’t imagine, he always felt as if anything he touched died on him, or at least suffered, this was a power to mirror his thoughts, even if he thought it, Aiden really did it, that would have a far more serious effect one the others mind, wouldn’t it? The fear of what sort of mutation Riley possessed always rose when something like this happened, he didn’t want to have the ability to drain life, or burn things around him, or freeze everyone who touched him, or sprout fur and a tail, he didn’t want that, he was fine just how he was… he was too old for any more changes!
"I have this...thing inside me. It's...Death. It's almost as if it has a mind of it's own. That's my "Mutant Power". A lot of times I can control it, keep it from doing anything but sometimes..." Everyone had death inside of them, everyone had that power… you didn’t need to be a mutant to create a wave of death and misery, though understandably having something so physical and potent inside of oneself would be a difficult burden to bear. "I had a brother... David. We always had a bit of sibling rivalry, but nothing that serious. He was a football player and I was a guitar player... so we fell into different crowds. One morning, I caught him with steroids.. and I think he was on something else at the time. He... attacked me. I don't think he was thinking straight. Wanted to make sure I wouldn't tell Dad... and.. It got out. He was... holding me down and hitting me and... getting weaker the whole time. I couldn't stop him. It was right in the middle of the halls at school too. Everyone saw. Even Vivian, my sister." Awkward… Riley wasn’t familiar with many drugs but he did know Steriods from his basketball days, they went into details about what shouldn’t be taken to avoid drug tests coming out positive, aside from not taking the actual drugs of course, there were other small things that could fool the drug test into incorrectly identifying something. It wasn’t awkward for that though, it was because Riley was so drugged up his entire life that he always felt so uneasy around people who had negative experiences with others who suffered drug effected personalities. It always felt as if he was being judged, or hinted at, something… something bad, something that had to do with how abnormal he was and out of control he could become.
"I snuck back home to see Vivian one last time, and to get the rest of my things... I knew I couldn't stay. I snuck in the window and she met me... I tried to appologize, but she stopped me. Told me she was a mutant too. Apparently so was our Grandmother... but we didn't get that far along. Police broke in. Grabbed me and Viv..." Police? Aiden hadn’t really said what he had done in the halls, but Riley quickly went over it and realized how obvious the hints were… the guy killed his brother, but he was just defending himself, as painful as it was for Riley to admit, he couldn’t deny that he might have done the same thing, unable to stop till his opponent was subdued. With demons it was nearly impossible to control the seed of anger the Initiative planted inside of him, but with other enemies it was easier to manage, especially with people close to him, but it was hard to explain to people why he’d get so angry sometimes… he was lucky though, he didn’t have many situations where he was faced with losing his temper, Max aside, he was coping well with his temper.
But why would the police grab Aiden’s sister? That sounded off… police don’t randomly grab people like that, fair enough Aiden had commited a murder in self defence, but the over the top raid on the house? What was that for? Unless they didn’t think Aiden was acting in self defence, Riley had to remind himself of that. Look at the person, not the mutation, that’s how Riley managed to fit in so quickly when he first arrived, just kept saying that, he’d never really been involved with mutants at all beforehand, so it was very new and strange, but he managed, and he helped Catherine manage when she came… even if it took a while for her to see beyond the mutations.
"She yelled at our parents as we went downstairs. That they'd take us to a lab or kill us... My dad just kept saying how this was for our own good... We had to be put down, y'know. We're monsters." A father did this to his own children?! A little fire ignited inside of Riley, one only a parent who had lost their child could bare, how dare such people exist, how dare anyone decide who does or doesn’t deserve to live, mutants or not, that doesn’t give anyone the right to disown them. Children needed to be loved and nurtured and taught how best to handle and use their powers, not discarded like Christmas puppies that outgrew their cuteness. "They threw Viv into a car and tried to do the same with me... but... it got out again. I let it. Three cops... died... and I had to watch them drive off with my sister." It was a shame those cops died, but if that lowlife that called himself their father had not taken matters into his own hands then those cops would be alive and well, and his children would be together, that monster! The tension had long since left Riley’s stomach but now migrated to his jaw as the thoughts entangled his mind, and memories of excitement as well as later memories of loss filled the small gaps between Aiden’s words. It wasn’t fair that those with children and lives, with freedom and free will, would throw it all away like this, to throw their children away, to throw away a part of themselves… To be betrayed by your father, than to watch as your sister is driven away, betrayal and loss, that was something Riley knew far too well.
"I was on the news. Mutant Terrorist. I had to keep moving..and I found the Institute online. Talked to Mrs Summers over the net... I couldn't risk the phones... and she sent someone out to get me. So... here I am... Hiding and looking for her." Someone else was hiding… someone else was being hunted, while it was a sad thing to hear, it was also comforting, just to know that there was someone else out there other then Riley and the other former agents of the Initiative that got out with him. Agents who, one by one, seemed to be falling victim to unexplained deaths or ‘accidents’, too coincidental for Riley to believe and yet to painful to spend too long thinking about.
"A lot of people come here to hide, and a lot of people have powers that get the better of them, it’s the whole point of this school." Not everyone has the perfect life, and not everyone has something to hide, and people don’t come here to hide from their mutancy, but they do come to hide from problems that may occur because of times they couldn’t control their powers, or for any number of other reasons. "Xavier’s has more experience in dealing with mutants that have been taken then most, there are faculty members that have experienced first hand what you are going through." Was this what the guy needed to hear? That others here, even in these great walls, also vanished like his sister..? But at least, unlike his sister, most were found again, hell hath no fury like an X-men scorned! "You’re sister’s very lucky in some regards," Ok, it wasn’t until after that until Riley realized how wrong that could be taken, or how negative the vague comment could be, she was kidnapped, whisked away from her family, how on earth could that be counted in anyway as lucky? It couldn’t, but that wasn’t Riley had intended to make it sound as, "I mean… not everyone has someone on the outside trying to find them, and even if the person can’t ever really be sure someone’s out there looking for them, there’ll come a day they might learn of it, and it makes them look back on the all the years they felt forgotten, and not feel so lonely anymore." Catherine never cared to ask Riley about things that happened back in the Initiative, she never cared to pry into his life or into his emotions, she was still in need of so much growing up… perhaps one day she might but that day was far off. There was no one else around to talk to, no one to confide in when it came to the Initiative and the things he was forced to live with, or live without. "Not many get that, the realization that someone had never given up on them, it’d mean a lot to her to know you never gave up on finding her." Like people had given up on him, a few simple lies and that was that, his world had shattered, his family had thought him dead, everything he cared about was taken from him, and no one seemed to have it in them to come and try to find out if it was really true or not. There were here now, and they never forgot him, but they had never come for him either, and Riley found it hard to forgive them for abandoning him, even if Riley himself never admitted that he was hurting so deep because of that.
Re: Twisted Fates - Our Hidden Hyme"A lot of people come here to hide, and a lot of people have powers that get the better of them, it’s the whole point of this school."
Aiden's head rose from it's downward position a bit more. It seemed that, indeed, he might have chose the right person to confide in. Though he'd only known Riley a very short time, he could tell easily that the guy had his share of problems. He acted a little off in a great number of situations, and seemed to hesitate on nearly everything. Who knew what he was going through, but the death elemental hoped that talking about his own problems would help the older male with his.
"Xavier’s has more experience in dealing with mutants that have been taken then most, there are faculty members that have experienced first hand what you are going through."
This brought a little smile to Aiden's face. It was always good to know that he wasn't the only one with these kinds of troubles. Certainly there had to be more mutants with potentially destructive powers that didn't know how to use them from birth... he'd always realized this. It was just good to hear it.
"You’re sister’s very lucky in some regards," Riley seemed to pause. Maybe looking for the words? "I mean… not everyone has someone on the outside trying to find them, and even if the person can’t ever really be sure someone’s out there looking for them, there’ll come a day they might learn of it, and it makes them look back on the all the years they felt forgotten, and not feel so lonely anymore."
He stopped breathing for just a second. Does Viv know I'm out here looking for her? ..But of course, she had to. She'd seen the officer's go down from the backseat of the car, and knew that he would be free. Who knew? Maybe she'd seen the TV that he'd escaped. If he was out here, Aiden felt confidant for sure that Vivian would hold confidence in him. The sudden realization caused the male's own confidence to rise. His face left the look he'd worn as of late, the look of someone lost in a world where he did not belong, the look of a man without purpose. His features softened, eyes less wide, the whole very air of him seeming more sure of himself.
"Not many get that, the realization that someone had never given up on them, it’d mean a lot to her to know you never gave up on finding her."
No.. most people don't get that kind of chance. But Vivian would...
"..You're a good man, Riley."
Aiden's eyes lowered to the floor again, but this was more out of a calm serenity than insecurity. He felt warmer than he had before, the sense of knowing where you are and what you need to do calming a spirit more than anything else could have. Constantine quickly realized that the conversation thus far had been all about him.
"What about you, Riley? What got you into your music in the first place?"
An easier topic, considerably. Who knows..? Maybe it would make Flinn open up a little more...
Re: Twisted Fates - Our Hidden Hyme
"..You're a good man, Riley." The words, unforgettable gratitude seemed interwoven with them, was it arrogance that caused a soft feel of warmth inside of Riley as he heard those words? There was a time where he had no doubt in the fact. There was a time where Riley thought he could do no wrong, as long as what he did saved lives and he did what he was told. But during the recent years Riley found himself wondering if following those orders had always been the right thing to do, and if it wasn’t the right thing, why did he still follow them?
No… no it wasn’t arrogance. Riley wasn’t like that, and while he thought he realized it was just out of insecurity, how could he think it could be anything else? The years of feeling useless in the school, the years of feeling for the first time in so long that he wasn’t as capable as those around him. In many ways that’s why Riley threw himself into his school work, to show himself that he could handle it, to show himself that he could do whatever he set his mind to… it didn’t always work, because a lot of the time his mind couldn’t focus on anything, not with everything else that was going on in his life.
"What about you, Riley? What got you into your music in the first place?" Such a simple question, though as Riley’s lips parted to reply, he seemed to hesitate, the words fled from his mouth and Riley found himself in a moment of a mind blank. Back on the farm it wasn’t uncommon for his family to play together during celebrations, Christmas carols and Easter, birthday’s and anniversaries. Any special day usually had a song or two, even the not so special ones, the nights Riley couldn’t sleep, the nights he worried the nights they camped outside in the paddocks… his father had a guitar and they always played together, Riley got his first guitar at the age of nine and had taken great care of it. Riley’s family was such a private part of his life, it had been a secret for so long… since when Riley first arrived the former agent had been under the impression his family had died, but then as the first few months passed outside of the initiative he started remembering glimpses of other memories that told another story.
"I’m an only child who lived three hours away from the nearest town, it was a form of entertainment I suppose… but it was also something to do together.. I mean we had a radio but it more fun doing the songs ourselves I guess." Did that make sense? He was really trying… he hoped it made sense, he didn’t want to sound as if he was trying to be discreet but in some ways he still felt as if he wasn’t being totally honest, even if he wasn’t lying. "I guess… my father really, he loved playing his guitar." That was personal… was it personal enough? It better be, because it felt so awkward, true that he wasn’t divulging anything significant but it still felt as if he was opening open to a point of becoming vulnerable. As strange as it seemed, but that’s how he always felt now, especially after the way Catherine would attack him when she got angry. Even if she now realized that she couldn’t do that sort of thing with Riley, the damage was still done for now, and he couldn’t heal till she made the effort to help instead of tearing him down whenever she got upset.
I should add something else… or not? It sounds a bit off to end it like that… what else can I say? Riley took a moment to look at the other items inside the music room. Something quick, something, anything… Uncertainly Riley added a comment that he wasn’t sure he had really wanted to say. "Music wasn’t really a big thing in my foster home though so.. I just like coming around to play occasionally." Foster home. It had been a fallback definition for the Initiative his entire life there, everyone at the school who was close to Riley knew all about the fact he had a foster family but he never talked about them much. Xavier’s school knew Riley had family in Iowa so there wasn’t really a big deal towards the fact that his parents have arrived and once again take part in his life. Some of his friends however are slightly confused regarding it and Riley’s not being absolutely forthcoming with his explanations… simply because he wasn’t sure how to explain it all. "But anyway… you probably want to get to work." Mainly Riley assumed that Aiden was hardly interested in learning the in-depth background of Riley’s life, and even if he was, it wasn’t like Riley found it easy to talk about it.
Re: Twisted Fates - Our Hidden Hyme
((First off, appologies are required. EZ-Board, my computer, or some other bizarre act of God decided to deny me access in general. For whatever reason, updating my system fixed said issue..and now, here's the Riley post that you've been waiting for for ....bleeding ages. Enjoy!))
The Constantine male nodded as Riley spoke. It was obvious that the older man in the room had a hard time piecing his thoughts and feelings together, but he was trying rather damn hard to do so. He talked briefly of his time at home, hours away from civilization, which Aiden could not relate to, but understood. He'd had several friends that had the same issue, and had managed to procure enough rides to keep them included with the rest of the circle of association.
Music had lived within Riley's family, at least a little bit, and Aiden smiled in wide approval. So few any longer had time for such trivial things such as music when the weight of the world was coming down on everyone. Politics, wars, and the 'threat' of mutants had been flooding the TV screens of every home in the world for so long, it was almost hard for adults to think about fun again. Fun was for children who did not have to bear the worries of existence as adults did... supposedly. Thantos, regardless, continued smiling, despite his own internal monologue on the state of current events. Hope had sprung up in this household, and flew about in the sounds of notes and chords. That was what was truly important.
The conversation seemed to end quickly, Flinn obviously not wanting to project himself verbally any longer. "But anyway… you probably want to get to work."
Constantine let out a joy-filled laugh before Riley could manage to gain his feet from the piano stool. "Work? Heh... Fortunately, that is one thing that I'm not interested in today. It's Tuesday. The day without classes, for me anyway, and I just found this room looking for entertainment. You don't have to leave... honest."
If Riley wasn't comfortable with expressing himself vocally...perhaps he had another way that he would rather.
Striking a few gentle chords, that wavered through the amp and out into the air, Aiden hopped back atop the speaker that would carry his guitar's notes.
"Duette?"
((Not that long, but enough to continue the plot! <3))
Re: Twisted Fates - Our Hidden Hyme
The other seemed to laugh, not nasty or teasing as Riley might ahve initially assumed but instead one of humour and pleasantness. "Work? Heh... Fortunately, that is one thing that I'm not interested in today. It's Tuesday. The day without classes, for me anyway, and I just found this room looking for entertainment. You don't have to leave... honest." It made Riley a little awkward because now he could stay, but feel a little misplaced, or he could leave and feel slightly rude for walking out. Aiden brushed his fingers over a few strings of his guitar, sitting down as he did so, Riley watched as he often did when people busied themselves with things that interested Riley. If he watched them as they did the things they were good at, it made it easier for him to pick them up.
"Duette?" The question was asked with genuine interest, Riley however just took a moment to stare. It sounded as if Aiden was serious... but people didn't just ask such things so effortlessly! Or did they? Riley rubbed the palm of his right hand down the front of his chest, resting it a moment on his stomach. Fingers scratched lightly at the fabric of his shirt, lips parted a little and head tilted. There was so many things that someone with Riley's skill ought to be doing, so many challengers he ought to be facing... But this was a challenge too wasn't it?
Often overlooked charms once again surfaced as the Iowa born youth gave the eldest Constantine a smile. Yes... there was a hundred other things Riley could be doing, but...well Dr McCoy did say he ought to relax...
"I've never played with someone before.." Well, there had been the odd momenys when Ang would hum alon to a tune Riley played but it didn't last more then a few bars. Ang usually walked to check up on her friend during the few months he hadn't really left his room save for the occasional artsy class he had to attend. And if Riley was playing she'd insist he'd finish the song. With an embarrassed laugh Riley stepped foward, averting his gazw shyly. The temporarily suspended team leader was surprised in his own willingness to take part in this.
Though Riley wasn't sure if there was a particular instrument that Aiden would have preferred Riley played, so the former agent just assumed if there was trhen the dark haired student would undoubtedly make a request. For now Riley picked up another guitar, he felt really silly, but at the same time somewhat excited. To make it feel more simple, Riley just tried to associate this as a team excercise. Im a sense it was pretty much just that, just with a flare of a total randomness that could be often found in the social scene.
<3))
Topic Commands
Click to receive email notification of replies
Click to stop receiving email notification of replies
