Healing Hands

You don't just survive. You persevere. [[ RP ACCOUNT]]

[heartfelt-cody]

kaykorvick‌:

“And you didnt mean to. And she was sick and you couldnt help her. You saved her too…. just in a different way. Sometimes death is saving someone.” They replied a bit louder, tilting their head to the side. “You are blind then.” Shrugging, Kaleb let out a small sigh as the other apologized. “It can’t change. What happened and why it happened. Nothing changes it or makes it better or makes it easier so there is no reason to apologize for it. Im good following the motions. I read enough… thought enough… talked to myself enough when I wasn’t drugged out of my mind but im not good at it.”

Cody looked away again.  “I could have helped her.  I could have saved her but my powers lashed out.  The years of being locked away, of being used in more ways than one; it all came out.” His voice cracked a bit.

“You don’t have to be good at it,” he finally replied after thinking for a few moments.  Oh how he wanted to go get another beer.  “You just have to convince others that you are.  The first step is convincing others that you are... then you can work on yourself.”  The man inhaled, then exhaled slowly.  

[heartfelt-cody]

kaykorvick‌:

Nodding, Kaleb knew this all too well. “He locked me away too.” Their voice small as they withdrew their hand. “It could eventually still be him.” They knew it probably wasnt what the oher wanted to hear but it would have sounded comforting to them. “Its not nice… is it? Not knowing where what you did and what you were made to do starts and ends. Do you… do you ever wonder if you will ever feel like your powers are your own? Sorry… again you dont have to answer. I dont really know how to human… a lot. Since I was like 14 or so I only ever really saw him. He didnt really make conversation… just made orders.” 

It was only when Kaleb removed their hand that he realized it was even there in the first place.  “I only ever killed her,” he whispered.  “I saved so many people, but... you put it best, my powers weren’t my own.  They... they derailed everything.”  Finally, he glanced over at them.  “You seem pretty human to me,” he mused.  “I’m sorry you had to... go through what you did.  For what it’s worth, you seem to be doing okay with me?”

[heartfelt-cody]

kaykorvick‌:

“Oh..” Kaleb mumbled softly looking down at their feet as they took in what the other had said. “Oh well… then you helped her. Sometimes…. sometimes we do things that are hard to help other people and it sounds like you helped her. If she was sick… if she was dying already or in pain or…..” Kaleb shifted in their seat and reached out, placing their hand softly on the others arm. “Thats not a bad thing, you know that right? You didnt do bad.” 

A low and bitter laugh escaped Cody at the words that the other spoke. “They locked me away,” he explained.  “They used me for my powers, telling me I was doing the right thing when they were simply exploiting me for money.”  He still didn’t look at Kaleb.  “She used me; her father abused my powers.  Deep down...” His voice trailed off.  “I wish it had been him and not her.”

[heartfelt-cody]

kaykorvick‌:

Listening to the others answer, Kaleb nodded quickly wondering if they would have felt relief to kill their adopted parent. “That it was something that you needed to have happen.” They mumbled, letting out a small sigh. “Who was it? You dont have to tell me…. if you dont want to. I just… I havent ever talked to anyone about what happened to me.” 

Cody nodded silently and remained silent for a few long moments after Kaleb’s question.  His eyes closed and he took another long drink from his bottle of beer, finishing it.  He set it down next to him.  “My fiancee...” he finally exhaled.  “She was sick... beyond what I could heal, I’m sure.  And it all happened so fast.  One moment she was there, then she was gone.”  His voice was empty.  “Then I... I thought I was dead too, but here I am.”

He glanced over at Kaleb, but said nothing.

[heartfelt-cody]

kaykorvick‌:

Glad when the other didnt touch them, Kaleb nodded slowly. “I watched… I told people to do horrible things. To kill other people, to kill themselves and I watched every time. And they were good people and… and he isn’t and I couldn’t. And so what does that say about me?” Pausing, Kaleb cocked their head to the side. “What did it feel like when you killed someone?” 

Cody looked away from Kaleb as he spoke.  He couldn’t imagine what they went through, and he didn’t want to imagine it.  He had his own nightmares from life in captivity.  “Relief,” was the first word that came to mind.  “Fear.  Disgust.  Sadness.  Even though it was an accident, I think that... deep down I wanted it to happen.  What does that say about me?” His voice was quiet and distant.

[heartfelt-cody]

kaykorvick‌:

Kaleb moved to lean forward, bringing themselves closer to the other. “People not prying is half my story.” They mumbled before rolling their eyes. “I know what it takes to… I mean, I never actually did it but I convinced people to do it. I pulled the trigger, I just never held the gun. And then he was there and… and I wanted to so badly. And I didnt want to tell him to… to convince him to. I wanted to do it and I couldnt and I dont know why because I still want to.” 

Cody watched Kaleb for a few moments before tentatively reaching out to place a comforting hand on their shoulder.  However, he awkwardly stopped short and pulled his hand back.  He knew what it was like to have people invade personal space and honestly didn’t want to do that to Kaleb.

“Because it takes... when you... it’s not an easy thing to explain.”

[heartfelt-cody]

kaykorvick‌:

Shifting a bit, they dropped their hands as they got more comfortable. “What if Im one of the bad ones though. Like… I did a lot of bad things and I dont really feel bad about them. Not how I should feel. Not how a normal person would feel.” 

Letting out a small pained laugh, Kaleb shrugged slowly. “It doesnt make it better though, does it? Doing things just to stay alive. Doing horrible fucked up things just to live. Even if you have to. No one has to do anything besides when… besides when I made them. Im always going to be a risk and at risk of being a weapon. I didnt kill him… like I planned to um and I wanted to but… but I couldnt.” Scoffing, Kaleb brought their arms back up and around them. “People say things they dont mean all the time.” 

Exhaling slowly, Cody listened to them speak, not interrupting, just allowing them to keep going until they found a proper stopping point.  “You’re right,” he replied slowly.  He was slowly beginning to piece things together and honestly felt bad for the person before him.  “That means that you’re not as bad as you think you are.  I mean, I don’t know you’re story.  I don’t want to pry.  But I know what it takes to kill someone... even accidentally and it... it sucks.”

[heartfelt-cody]

kaykorvick‌:

As the other stepped back, Kaleb gave a small smile. “Its okay. Its… okay.” They didnt really know what to say besides the obvious. Letting out a small laugh at people being cruel, Kaleb nodded. “A lot of people are cruel and they want to see a lot more than people doing things they regret. Like you are on show. A puppet…. plaything.” 

Looking back up at the other, Kaleb shook their head. “Is it? I traded one cage for another. I…” They paused for a moment biting their bottom lip as they thought over what they wanted to say. “I dont want my powers. I know im supposed to be learning how to control them but I dont want to. I dont want to be controlled. That line is terribly thin. Being in control and being controlled. ” 

Cody offered them another gentle smile.  “Some people are like that,” he replied carefully. “But I’ve come to learn that there are more good people in the world than bad.  At least from my experience.”

He took another drink of his beer.  “I hear ya there. Not having control over yourself or anything is one of the worst feelings in the world.  Having to do something you don’t want to do just to stay alive... that’s horrible.”  He glanced away from Kaleb.  “But let me tell you, this place... it’s the best.  I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t mean it.”

[heartfelt-cody]

kaykorvick‌:

Leaning back a bit as the other moved closer, Kaleb wrapped their arms around themself going a bit more on the defensive. Without having access to their powers, they instantly felt weak though they figured the other didnt mean any harm. Old habits were definitely proving to die hard. 

“Why would anyone spike it if they are offering beer?” Kaleb mumbled looking back down at their empty glass. “I just look young. I know that…. it makes me less intimidating. He liked that. People didnt think I could do anything when they saw me and uh…. sorry.” 

Cody read their body language and took a step away.  “Sorry,” he mused quietly, taking the change of subject.  “Because you have to be 21 to get the beer.  Some people are just cruel and want to see other people get drunk and do things that they’ll regret later.”

As Kaleb continued, a look of realization hit him.  “Don’t apologize, kid,” he replied evenly.  “Sound like you were dealt a bad hand.  But you’re here now, right?  That’s a step in the right direction.”  Cody could read their body language and wished he could do something to help them relax.  

[heartfelt-cody]

kaykorvick‌:

Kaleb looked back down at the now empty glass not understanding. “But doesnt alcohol also make you act weird and say things you shouldnt and forget. I wouldn’t want to forget any more.” Their voice soft as they looked back up at the other.

“Well that one tasted like chemicals so..’ As age was brought up, Kaleb bent down to place the cup on the ground beside their feet. “I am 23…. I think. Wait yeah. 23. Birthdays werent a huge thing for me.” 

Cody slowly moved a little closer  to Kaleb.  “It does, but that’s the price that some people are willing to pay to have a good time.”  His smile faded a bit when they mentioned not wanting to forget any more, but Cody didn’t push the issue.  

“It’s spiked punch.  It’s probably cheap vodka that would give you the worst hangover of your life,” he offered.  “And 23?  I don’t know if I believe that,” he said with a gentle tease.

[heartfelt-cody]

kaykorvick‌:

Kaleb wasn’t entirely sure why they had even came out, besides the fact that they had never been to a bonfire being slightly appealing. Still, here they were nestled just close enough to the fire to not be cold nursing a drink that tasted disgustingly of chemicals.  “Hmmm.” Looking up slowly at the guy speaking, they looked back down at their drink. “What?” They wrinkled their nose before pouring out the rest of the drink. “That explains the disgusting taste. Do people actually enjoy that?” 

Cody smiled gently at Kaleb.  “A lot of people do, actually,” he explained, chuckling as they dumped the rest of their drink on the ground.  “They also like the way that it makes them feel.  It helps to, I guess, strip away the insecurities and such.  Makes them feel better.”

He shrugged as he took a sip of his beer.  “And not all of it tastes bad.  I’d offer you to try the beer, but you don’t really look old enough to drink.”

[heartfelt-cody]

At events like these, Cody often felt like the chaperone rather than an actual attendee.  He felt far too old for this, but showed up anyways due to the promise of free booze and the fact that he’d never be able to live with himself if someone got hurt.  

In a way, he was like the paramedics on scene at a raucous concert: a safety precaution.  “Hey, you uh- might want to slow down a little,” he said gently with a small smile on his features.  “Get too drunk and it turns into a not so fun party.”

[heartfelt-cody]

samuelamaxx‌:

Samuel was thinking about everything he went through in jail. Fighting. Watching boys get hurt in ways they shouldn’t have.  He wished that he could’ve changed everything he had done in the past, but all he could say was that he was a different person now and just wanted to enjoy his life while he could. He was out for his normal jog. Shirtless. And finished up his normal five miles a day. Deciding to sit by a tree, he got to deep into his thoughts and that’s when the weather dipped slightly.

Clouds rolled in and the sky darkened slightly. His powers were more emotional based and he had to be one with them, but right now he was too far into his thoughts to even think about controlling them at the moment. A few non threatening thunder rumbles rolled throughout the sky. He looked over towards the person he heard coming. He didn’t think anyone else was out this early.

His eyes glowed white and the sky cleared up softly. “Oh? And what if I want you to bite?” His eyes slowly faded back to normal and he looked up towards the man.

Cody had noticed that it was about to start raining.  The thunder usually meant lightning and that meant that he really needed to start his way back.  He felt old in that moment as he stretched, cracking his back in the process.  While he knew that he wasn’t old, sometimes being around so many younger people made him feel that way.

Seeing the other’s eyes turn white, he glanced up at the sky for a moment, watching as the clouds dissipated and the sun began to come out again.  “I could do that too,” he said slowly, a soft chuckle following.  “But I’d have to take you to dinner first,” he teased.

He hadn’t been on a date in such a long time.  His friends tried to set him up a few months after he managed to heal and it didn’t go well at all.  The girl leaned in for a kiss at the end of the night and Cody nearly had a panic attack.  It was mortifying for him.  Since then, he honestly hadn’t even thought about it.  It may have been two and a half years, but Cody was still healing.  He could heal everyone around him, but not himself.

[heartfelt-cody]

timsy-hafele‌:

Timsy had her head down. She was watching where she was going–sort of anyway. At the very least, she seemed to be watching more than the person she was on a collision course for. She kept walking, even as she noticed him, in the hopes that in the next second he’ll see her and be the one to halt…and then it was the next second…and the next second…and the next…it was a low energy day and it felt like the second she stopped moving would be the second she stopped moving. Finally, she resigned herself to her fate and halted. Only for him to stop another second later. Timsy wasn’t good with strangers. “Right. I was more worried about getting run over, really.” She smiled, just slightly, to make it seem like socializing was totally natural for her.

Cody looked down at the girl with a gentle smile, shifting a bit as she spoke.  “I wouldn’t run into you.”  He could tell that the girl was awkward; possibly awkward beyond the point of where he was a few years prior.  He always struggled with social interaction.  He was only just beginning to initiate conversation.  “But I did almost run into you.” Chuckle.  “Almost.”

[heartfelt-cody]

Cody’s heart raced as he ran.  He ran and ran and ran.  Granted, he was running for the mere fact that he could run, but he was still running.  He often spent his free time running laps around the campus.  He spent so many years cooped up in isolation that he made it a point to run every day (even if it was on a treadmill inside because of the weather).  

He was finally (after nearly a year and a half of freedom) back to the physical shape he wanted to be in.  It was a slow race, but he made it.  That being said, after mile five, he was usually winded.  Granted, at this point he was fairly far away from his room.  

Leaning against a tree, he let out a groan as he caught his breath.  That when he noticed someone nearby.  He offered them a smile.  “I don’t bite.  Promise.”

[heartfelt-cody]

{ CHRIS EVANS } – { CODY WORTHINGTON } is a { 32 } year old { CIS MALE } student in the { GENETIC STUDIES AND ADVANCEMENT DIVISION }. { HE } was invited to join the Academia because of { HIS } { ENERGY MANIPULATION }. Honestly, they can be pretty { UNTRUSTING }, but they make up for it with their { GENUINENESS }.

Cody did not have an easy life growing up.  His father abandoned his mother when he found out she was pregnant.  In turn, he grew up bouncing from couch to couch, his mother soon turning to drugs to make life easier for her.  At the age of four, Cody was taken away from his mother.  He never saw her again.

He grew up in the broken foster care system, never finding a family that wanted to adopt him.  While he was intelligent, he was also awkward and aloof.  Most potential parents went towards the more outgoing children, leaving Cody alone.  Still, he survived.  He persevered.  

He graduated college top of his class despite the world being against him and got a full ride to college where he went Pre-Med.  It was there that he met Cynthia and soon began dating her.  They were a good pair, almost too perfect to be a true couple.  

Upon graduating from undergrad, Cody went straight into medical school and soon asked Cynthia to marry him.  Looking back, it was the biggest mistake he could have made.  However, it was in those years that he discovered his powers.  He could manipulate energy into either a positive or destructive force.  It wasn’t strong at first, but after plenty of research he learned (by himself) to control his powers and use it eventually to heal.

When he told Cynthia and her family (a family that became like a true family to him), they were overjoyed... at first.  Little did Cody know that soon his life would take a turn for the worse.  Cynthia’s family ran a holistic healing clinic and Cody volunteered some time there.  But soon, it began to overtake his life.  Everything spiraled and he found himself unable to help.  Cynthia told him that he had to help or they wouldn’t get married.  Cody, realizing that they were using him, opted to leave.

Only they wouldn’t let him.  The moment that he tried to leave, a magical force (Cynthia father had powers as well) pushed him back into the room he had been staying in.  The door locked.  Cody was trapped, a prisoner of the people he once considered family.

Days passed.  Weeks passed.  Months passed.  Cody had no choice but to do as they said or they would have killed him (although the healing nearly killed him quite a few times).  The one time he tried to escape left him incapacitated for a week, unable to move or even function.

That was his life for two and a half years.  He was a broken man when he finally completely crashed.  He did too much.  When Cynthia was diagnosed with a rare cancer, he refused to help at first.  While he used to love her, that love was long gone.  Unfortunately, they gave him no choice.  When he started to attempt to remove the cancer, his emotions got in the way.  He killed her instead.  It was instantaneous.

Her family saw it as premeditated.  The “healing” itself nearly killed Cody.  The amount of energy he expelled and manipulated drained him.  Between that and the attack from Cynthia’s father, Cody was a goner.  In fact, the man was convinced that Cody was dead and “disposed” of his body in the woods hundreds of miles from their home.

That was how Cody was found.  The man was clinging to life and hooked up to all kinds of machines once they made it to the hospital.  But time passed.  Cody healed, but swore he’d never step foot in that area again.  When law enforcement tried to find them, they vanished.  Cody was back to square one, but he was just happy to be alive.

Fastforward a few months, he got a letter inviting him to LNA.  He passed the interview with flying colors and was accepted into the GSA division.  His energy manipulation, especially in the realm of healing, was of great interest to many of his peers.  Not only them, but to him as well.  He slowly began accepting his powers again, but it’s hard for him to use them sometimes.

But Cody survived.  He persevered.  And now, hopefully, life could be good again.

[heartfelt-cody]