Avery Carr

Crystal would chuckle softly at the other. “God of Chaos it is then.” A wide grin would make its way to her lips. “You can call me Crystal if you want.” she’d shrug her shoulders meeting the others gaze. “Unless you can think of anything better, I won’t judge.” she’d grin pulling her hand away from the others. “So what are you ordering today?” 

Avery nodded at her acceptance of his request, his head tilting in what was almost a bow, a silent indication of appreciation before gently letting go of her hand as not to disturb it’s state and returned his own to his side, slipping it casually into his jean pocket with a shrug. “I’m not good with nicknames but I’ll keep you posted.” The fact she almost requested one set in a mental note in his head, an obligation he seemed to make to himself to find an appropriate one over time. He wanted to get back to that.

“Decaf.” Avery’s tone was a matter of fact, the word leaving him in a nod as he remembered the coffee sitting on the table behind him. He hadn’t even been using the sugar, it would make decaf almost purposeless but he still managed to make a mess of it. “Black preferably.” 

His eyes squinted slightly as he looked her over. “You probably wouldn’t agree though.” It was stated as a fact but his expression indicated the invisible question mark that followed. 

Aislinn watched as the guy approached her. He must be new, seeing as she had never seen him around before. She shrugged and nodded at him. “It does, I guess you’re right.” She sighed, glancing over at him. 

“So what’s your deal there, mister pointless?” She asked him, raising her eyebrows. “I’m mad at college, the statistics textbook. What are you mad at?” 

His right brow lifted to mock her expression, mirror it. It was a vague question to be fair, vast in possibilities for meaning. He knew he could probably guess at what she meant, land in the general ballpark and give her an answer but the effort felt moot today. He was too tired to play games back.

Avery’s narrow fingers gripped at his ankle his back hunching slightly as he twisted to face her. He was prepared to ask her to elaborate but she was already a step ahead of him. His mouth had barely gaped open, lips hardly parted far enough to allow a breath to escape before he shut it again, allowing her to continue. 

“Why the statistics textbook in particular?” It wasn’t an answer to her question, one in which he almost seemed not to hear. He wasn’t avoiding it so to speak, just found more interest in her answers than his own. 

“Avery. Long time no see, bud.” Zane smirked as he glanced towards the boy. Out of everyone that Zane messed with, Avery was one of his favorites. Zane liked to see if he could get a rise out of him and even if it was a twinge of Avery’s lip, or his eyebrows moving slightly, it was a win for Zane. It amused him and even though he knew that he could probably, easily, be friends with Avery, it was just too fun for him to stop. 

“Aw, Avery, that hurt.” Zane puckered his bottom lip and placed a hand over his heart before smirking and taking out his own can of spray paint. “I think you’d be smart enough to realize by now that I never take offense to anything ever. Because I do not care what people think about me.” Zane said as he began to scribble out the painting that someone had done with black so that he could put something over it. “Do you want to help?”

Avery didn’t expect much more of a response. The dismissal that came with his casual tine almost sent a twitch through his face, the muscles of his cheek almost pulling into a grimace. It was petty of him, he knew, to dislike someone so much. It wasn’t natural to hate, to physically feel disgusted by another human being. Human nature was a funny thing though. Somewhere along their progression, they developed this deeply embedded pride. He knew it was petty and still it was hard to let go of. He gave Zane no response to his ‘cheerful greeting.

“Somehow, I doubt that.” Despite all efforts, his tone carried a sour edge and underlining sense of distaste that seemed too strong to be casual humor. Luckily it was almost a mutter. He hoped Zane didn’t look too far into it. As if he knew it was already coming, Zane answered as if he hadn’t even listened to Avery’s remark. He supposed someone like Zane didn’t need to, he just went on talking.

Teeth pressed hard together as Avery swallowed his pride. Not only was this Zane but it was vandalism, something Avery himself had little to no interest in. Still, he needed this connection, or at least he couldn’t think of a better solution for the time being. Options were slim these days. “Yea.” His voice was sharp as he pressed his palm into the air as if to wait for the can. He was sure Zane was going to get a kick out of this reaction but he couldn’t focus on that now, not if he wanted to keep himself from storming off.

Oliver looked at the man obviously annoyed at his response. Oliver hadn’t meant to sound so abrasive he just had been walking around this town for what seemed to be an eternity. Despite the guy being annoyed, he did offer his help getting him to the library and that’s more than he would have done if he was in this guys shoes. “Sorry man it’s been a shit day” Olver stated looking at the man giving a half smile trying to fix what he had fucked up. He needed allies, not enemies. 

Oliver looked around sweating still somewhat agitated at the town. He wondered why this place even existed, was this some prison for mutant people, was he a freak. ‘No, I’m not some freak! I’m just some kid in a fucked up situation.’ he thought to himself. He looked up at the guy “Oliver” he stated han0d outstretched not really expecting a warm introduction after coming across as a dick but he needed to at least look the part of a civil person even if it meant swallowing his anger and pride.  

He seemed to take it back. Avery’s expression stood frozen as he looked the other over again, eyes carefully taking him in before making eye contact once more. He didn’t have the stance of someone who was generally aggressive, shoulders not quite back far enough to be arrogant, eyes lacking the confidence needed to be pompous. Perhaps it was just a shit day. That wasn’t Avery’s fault . Still, he was sympathetic to a point. Avery nodded in acceptance.

‘Oliver.’ The name rang no bell. Avery knew most faces by memory, at least to a point he recognition. He liked knowing who surrounded him, the other people in the room, the way they stood. People much like Oliver stood out less than others but Avery still would have liked to think he would remember him. “Avery.” He nodded again, eyeing the boy's hand before taking it with his own, giving it a firm shake before returning it to his side. 

“So about that run-?” He rose a brow.

Natalie could sense his apprehension – it was a regular feeling among those who seemed to come into contact with the redhead while she was training. Even despite usually being surrounded by guards that would throw her into confinement if she stepped out of line again. However, they were both alone and segregated from authority, which meant that she could run wild if she so pleased. After all, she would rarely pass up the opportunity to exercise her ability, really exercise it. 

“Yes. It doesn’t have to be though,” she responded, “I could turn it back, and revert your mind to its former self. Don’t worry.” Her reassurance most likely fell on deaf ears, because how could she possibly begin to insist that everything would be fine – how would he know? He wouldn’t. God forbid, he’d just have to trust her, trust that she was fond enough of him to not betray the friendship he’d so easily given her. “I’m not going to do that to you… change anything, I mean. Well, actually, I might make you think I’m the queen of Grimstone, permanently.” She grimaced, teasingly. 

Circling the clearing, her blue eyes studied her target – the older male she’d know for so little, yet felt so comfortable with. She’d admit, she was a bit rusty when it came to using her power. She would blame the scientist she’d been hanging around for that, the one who’d made her promise not to manipulate his mind whether it be for her own selfish reasons or not. It was a challenge, but she’d abided by his wishes, for some odd reason. Apparently, some people didn’t find her power fascinating enough to allow themselves to be subjected to it. Did they not realise that this damsel could give them the world? 

“Is there anything you’ve always wanted to know? Have you ever wanted to learn how to ride a bike, or how to do a back flip?” Her suggestions were tame, but she wanted to start off on an easier level of her manipulation and slowly build her experience up. “Maybe I could give you the knowledge of rocket science. I’m sure that would be a good conversation starter.” With a laugh, she came to a halt in front of Avery and took several steps towards him until they were inches apart. Looking directly into his eyes, she tried to muster the most reassuring smile she could give as an attempt to comfort him and quell his worries. “Relax, Ave. I don’t hurt the pretty ones.”

‘It doesn’t have to be.’ Avery contemplated this, his breath catching in his throat as he mulled over the words, tried to use them to lower the volume of his heart beating in his ears with a silent nod. He didn’t like this. He didn’t like it at all. His distaste had noting to do with her, Natalie was lovely, or well, as lovely as she could be. She had her flaws, after all she was human, not that Avery fully believed she saw herself that way. His head spun now more due to the lack of oxygen then her character. He was afraid he would walk out of these woods changed, some how not the same.

He forced out a chuckle, the sound faint, strangled between his thoughts and lungs, the corner of his lip twitching only slightly upward in a poor attempt to acknowledged her joke. “Funny.” He didn’t sound like he found it funny at all. If she had made it a few hours ago, he would have. His laugh would have been genuine, lips curling upward so that his eyes crinkled and dimples showed. Now though he could barely breathe.

She circled the clearing and his eyes didn’t move to follow her. He stood still, muscles ridged so that he resembled a petrified animal more than a person, mannerisms not quite human enough to be a statue. He could feel her watching him and so he forced himself to breathe, compelled his shoulders to relax. He didn’t want to seem so weak. If it had been anything else, even Zane’s power to make Avery move to the boy's will, he would have been more comfortable. The mind was a terrifying thing though. The way you thought could change the world you lived in and while Avery wasn’t so much fond of the one he lived in now, it was his, no one else’s.

There were things Avery wanted to know but he doubted Natalie could give them to him. He didn’t want a skill, not an ability or a trait. He wanted knowledge; knowledge Natalie most likely didn’t have. He imagined there was one thing she could show him but it wasn’t something he ever wanted to admit out loud, not to anyone.

“Backflip.” He nearly choked the words out, the sound sharp, emotionless.

“I’m jealous right now. I’m jealous of everyone who gets to choose their own path, everyone who’s free. Or well, as free as people get to be anyway. “

“I don’t think so. I mean, I don’t think there’s anything particularly wrong with me. I don’t think I would know how to be anything else.”

Oliver stood on the dirty sidewalk frustrated that he couldn’t find the store. He really didn’t like being here in this strange town where he knew no one. He looked around confused at the random street names and houses that lined the streets. A voice came through interrupting his thoughts ‘If that’s what you’re looking for you’re way off.’ Oliver looked over to the source of the voice. There was a blonde boy standing with his hands on his knees catching his breath, sweat dripping down his face. Oliver didn’t recognize the boy. He stood there confused wondering if he had heard him mumbling earlier. Oliver just wanted to find the store and was growing more frustrated that he couldn’t find anything in this town. 

He thought back to the town he grew up in and how easy it was to find places. He missed his old life as weird as that was. He knew his life before was awful since before he could remember. He only knew the life of being bounced around like a tennis ball from home to home never able to settle down. Oliver knew his life was no cake walk but at least he knew where he was before and wasn’t being guarded by the government. He didn’t trust this place or these government officials who constantly reassured him with the fake scripted dialogue that was given to them by there higher ups. 

“You think you can direct me in the correct direction?” he said in a bit of a frustrated snarky way. Oliver was tired of walking around all day and extremely famished having not eaten since hours prior. He just wanted to find the store and go home. He just wanted to turn into a bird and fly away but hell if he knew how to do that, he couldn’t control his power. He didn’t even understand what his power meant for him.  

Avery’s face remained frozen as he took in the kids attitude. He wasn’t particularly fond of it. In fact, he found it rather off-putting. Sure, he probably had a bad day but Avery wasn’t responsible for that. He mulled over the situation a moment, silence filling the space between the two for what, making a slightly uncomfortable atmosphere around them, adding to the heat that seemed to steam off of the sidewalk beneath them. The sun suddenly felt several degrees hotter.

“Well-” Avery started, his voice still lost in breath. “I can show you if you don’t mind jogging.” He could only imagine how a conversation would go for a slow walk, thick with abrasive, passive-aggressive conversation from the other end. It didn't seem appealing. “Otherwise I can point you in a general direction.”

“You just seem distracted.” she’d shrug her shoulders looking at the other. “I’m Crystal by the way, Not sure if we’ve met before.” she’d chuckle lightly extending her hand to the other. “And i’ll presume you are God of spilling sugar?” she’d tease him gently before a grin made its way to her lips. 

Distracted. Avery certainly felt something. He wasn’t sure distracted was the correct word to describe it though. He felt more aware than anything else. Perhaps he was lost in thought? Too consumed with the reality of things to focus on the trivial. Even this felt like a stretch. Avery was certain he was just wired and currently malnourished. He hadn’t eaten anything since lunch yesterday and running half the night wasn’t doing his body any current favors. 

Avery wiped his hand on his jeans, making sure the grainy texture of sugar was gone before extending it, grabbing hers lightly. He was raised to shake hands firmly, always gripping tightly but something about this girls hand seemed fragile, thin fingers and almost translucent skin. she seemed delicate. 

“I prefer god of chaos actually.” 

There were few who seemed externally as discontent as Avery felt on the inside. He considered himself perspective, particularly when he was looking for something and amongst all the new faces and locations, he was hoping to find something relatable. He had a few leads, faces that looked out of place on occasion, wary in the middle of this picket fence themed prison. Tristan was one that peaked his interest. Avery had no real reason to suspect a likeness between the two of them, no actions or words that Avery could refer to but something in his face seemed familiar, relatable. 

The two had barely interacted and so when it came down to it, there were only two options for getting more information: simply feeling him out in person or lurking around. The later seemed more dangerous and incredibly unreasonable. Avery wasn’t sure he would get any straight answers with the former but at least there would be a general theme, aggression, defensiveness, oblivion. 

For the first few moments, Abby was too concerned with fiddling with the manual focus on the camera to notice his discomfited squinting. By the time she looked up, brow knitting together in confusion before smoothing in realization, he’d already self-corrected. His pose, now fluid and relaxed, looked even better than it had in that first, candid moment.

She wasn’t certain she had focused the camera correctly; it wasn’t even hers. – It had been in her possession for more than two years now, and Keith was long gone, but still she felt more guardian than owner. If she kept reminding herself that she was only holding onto it until he returned, she could trick herself for all-too brief moments that the previous owner of the camera - its true owner, in her opinion - would return both for it and for her. It was precious in that way. And perhaps vaguely delusional.

She blinked, still in a bit of a reverie, when the melody of his voice finally pierced the part of her that understood language. “Oh,” she replied. “No. Never. Or, maybe rarely is the better word for it. I don’t really paint realism.”

Now distracted with what painting what she saw even meant, she placed all of the camera’s weight on one palm, hooking her thumb over her shoulder.

“My studio is over there. You wouldn’t be interested in looking around, would you?”

Eyes flickered back and forth under closed lids, the orange hues bright even with the obscurities. Where exactly Grimstone was, Avery wasn’t 100% sure but summers were hot enough to send beads of sweat trickling down the nape of his neck and hairline. Strands of golden brown hair were already beginning to stick to his forehead, his shirt feeling closer to his body than it had before.

He was used to hot summers. The Midwest had supplied plenty of dry, breezeless heat and with as many sports as Avery had been involved in, summers were spent outdoors. He’d find dry grass hiding in his socks as he peeled them off late evenings, his shirts so worn his mother refused to wash them with the rest of the loads. This heat seemed different somehow. More humid maybe. Avery couldn’t be sure.

Avery knew where his next words would go before she had even finished her sentence. “Why me then?” His tone was even, curious without judgment. To himself, Avery wasn’t anything special, not in a way anyone else would see it at least. He found he was more observant than most others, had an easy eye for detail but he didn’t expect anyone to see that, especially not through a lens.

‘Over there.’ The words had Avery opening one eye, peeking toward her to find the direction he assumed she would be pointing in. He came to find that her camera had been more casually placed. Assuming she was done he resituated himself, his shoulders slouching slightly, head returning back to a position belonging to that of a normal human being. 

His eyes glanced down at his watch, the action fleeting enough he hoped she wouldn’t catch it. He had a class in twenty-five minutes. He could ditch though. As far as he was concerned it was a way to pass time, what use would it be if it caused him to pass up a more interesting opportunity. 

“Sure.” His shoulders lifted and fell again. “If you have time.”