you burnt like a star
and you touched the lives of everyone around you
the tendrils of your flames and your fire, extending and overwhelming;
but i suppose radiant
things are not meant to last long
He wasn’t expecting Aspen to hug him back, but it felt incredibly good for how bad he was feeling. He had at least the impression that someone was here for him, after all. Having feelings to feel alone was the worst thing ever, and he hated the fact that he could feel for how low he was feeling. “I don’t feel like it can be fixed..” He said slowly, biting his lips slowly. “There is.. This.. This girl. She’s my friend, I mean.. I thought she was.” He looked at Aspen and shook his head. “She’s the princess of the underworld and she took me there and.. I don’t know why she ended up using her powers to block all of my movements and I just got scared and I freaked out, I just.. Panicked and I asked her to let me go a few times before getting mad and I attacked her.” He explained before shaking his head. “And she used my phobia to scare me and I just.. I don’t feel like I can trust anyone anymore, I think she might have broke me or.. Or something but I’m just so scared.” He felt his own voice breaking at his words, honestly he was about to cry but he didn’t even realized that. “People scares me, everyone, even my friends, I don’t know what to do and there’s some.. People that want to hurt me for what I did.”
Aspen frowned as he began, her anger of course spiking hearing her brother recollect what was clearly a traumatic experience for him. “On your part of this, I don’t think you are wrong. I can’t know what lead to this interaction, but from the sounds of it you were put in a position where you felt attacked and you acted accordingly like anyone in your place would. That does not make you a monster!” She reached out placing her hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “She did not break you, River. You’re far stronger than that. And I believe that completely. Sometimes certain things can leave us shaken to the core but that doesn’t mean we can't pick ourselves back up and move forwards. As for being scared, don’t be. I know you can take care of yourself, but remember you’re not alone, I’ll always be there when you need me. And so would mom and dad, and Teddy. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
The Howlett boy looked at his sister when she moved back, looking at his book before putting it down and getting up. “Wait..” He said slowly. He knew Aspen was not gonna hurt him. He was her brother, and even if he didn’t felt a thing for her, he guessed that it wasn’t the same thing from her. Getting closer, he wrapped his arms around his sister slowly. He needed comfort, and someone to listen to him. So he tried to hug her, maybe that would help a bit. Looking at her finally, River stepped a few steps back. “Do you.. Do you ever felt like no matter what efforts you do to be a good person, if you do one only mistake none of this matter and you come back to a.. Monster state again?”
To say she was taken back was an understatement. When her younger brother suddenly wrapped his arms around her in embrace she was stiff, she’d not known or felt affection for many years and it almost felt like she’d forgotten how it was done. Though after a few moment she returned the embrace even running her hand along his back a moment getting the sense that he needed the comfort as she knew of his own struggles with affection. When he finally pulled back she waited for a cue from him, expecting to be surprised once more. His question certainly did so. She swallowed, her mouth feeling dry, both by the rush of emotion at hugging her brother after what was most likely many years, as well as his question that struck a nerve. "A mistake can be fixed, sometimes our biggest mistakes pale in comparison to true horrors. What happened?" She asked, her voice a bit distant as she thought about knowing what it was to be a monster.
Aspen didn’t quite know how to deal with being back at Scions. It was like being transported back to her school years, yet nothing feeling as it had before. She was not the same person she had been than, her friends and every integral part of that time of her life was no more. On her way out she spotted her brother, and after a long pause of consideration she headed over his way. However his abrupt words halted her steps, her brows knitting together a moment. He was just as direct as she could be at times when she wanted to be left alone. “If that’s what you want.” She replied her steps retracting.
Hello, hello! I forgot to start out with an intro post on Maddie but doing one for Aspen was kinda necessary cause she’s a complicated character with a very specific backstory!
Aspen is of course the oldest of the Grey-Howlett children. From a young age she was regarded as a very beautiful child, one that had a way of mesmerizing people. Going into her preteen years around the time when most mutations surface, no one could quite figure out what hers was. It was even questioned whether she had mutation or not.
It was sort of after she hit puberty that hints of her ability started surfacing. At first it was mostly things that had a physical presence in her life. Increased stamina, injuries healing quickly things of that sort. Her healing wasn’t quite like her fathers, but also faster than a normal persons.
As more time passed little things started to become clear, like her being able to influence others quite easily, get her way with just about anyone.
Most of her teens were spent trying to figure out if she had a mutation and if so what it was. However there was a bit of insecurity in her with the thought that she might not have what her parents have.
Because of this she made the effort to be perfect in all her school work and training
It was around the time she turned 16 that Dr. McCoy was finally able to pinpoint her ability had to do with Pheromones.
Her own pheromone levels were about twice as high as a normal person which was the first indicator. Little by little they were able to figure out the jest of her mutation.
At first it felt rather inconsequential to her. The perks of the stamina, and healing were nice, she didn’t quite know how to deal with the way her ability made others get influenced by her. Though her mom helped her with that to some extent.
It was around this time that she began to date this guy (message me if you would like him to be your older sibling I would love that connection!)
TW Suicide Mention
He was pretty much the schools golden boy, good at everything, loved by everyone, capable, kind, with a bright future. Their relationship was perfect it would seem. They were together for two years. It was around the time she was turning nineteen that she got the opportunity to do an amazing internship in France for the summer.
She had expected he would support her as he did in most things, however when she told him she’d be gone for three months he was almost instantly reluctant, to quickly becoming against the idea of her leaving. They argued over this, in a fight unlike any they had ever had.
She could not understand the erratic behavior and the frantic tone he almost took on, at one point he began to insist he got with her. At which point she said she rather go alone because perhaps some space would be good for them.
Their arguing wasn’t coming to an end and a week later she left. Perhaps a week into her departure she got a call from home with the news that he had taken his own life.
His room had been turned into almost a shrine to her, with signs of disturbing behavior from him that he hand never before displayed.
Everyone left in utter shock because that was not him. It was quite clear in all that he had taken his life for her. And she was left in completely and utter shock.
Not many people understood what had exactly happened, though after endless research and examination of his behavior she was able to come to the realization that it had been her ability that ad killed him. Her constant presence in his life in that capacity had made him grow addicted to her. Dr. McCoy labeled it as addictive contentment.
Aspen was devastated, and a different person completely after this. No longer was she the radiant golden girl of Scion, she became reclusive and irritable, pushing everyone away.
Most people simply believed it was her grief, but it those closest to her that actually knew to some extent what it was. Her parents, and brothers later on. ( @riverhowlett & @teddyhowlctt )
She was close finished with her time at the academy, and at one point she couldn’t take it anymore and she up and left without telling anyone.
Traveling from place to place afterward not staying anywhere for too long, she continued training picking up different forms of fighting, and combat. Taking on a bit of a mercenary quality albeit reluctantly. It wasn’t hard for her parents to keep tabs on her with her mothers abilities. They gave her her space, until finally tracking her down a couple of months ago and convincing her to come home.
Since she was back she had to do something so with reluctance she took a position at the school.
If you want to know more about her ability the info can be found here. It’s kinda late so hopefully that was legible! HMU if you want to plot!
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