Energy in Motion

Luke Hier, son of Russell and Corinne. Twin sister to Laurel. Energy Manipulation.

[jimmy-bright-blog]

“Lucky for us, these days monsters can be good too. Example A: Hulk.” Jim says with a voice that doesn’t have much hope in it. Being accepted is good and all, but he would rather not be a monster at all. “You are welcome to try to find others, but, I’m pretty sure that’s what I’m good for.” Shrugging, he leans back on his chair. He wonders if they should shut up because, well, library. But no one seems to mind at this point. “She is planning the world domination. But I’m afraid I’m too scrawny to be her Kronk. But I would gladly pull the lever if I get the chance…” He mumbles under the breath. “Then I should hope I can run fast and long enough.”

[luke-hier-blog]

“Sometimes, they are.” There isn’t conviction in Luke’s voice, because he’s not the Hulk. He’s Nitro, and one day, he’d find his Stamford. Still, he was doing his best to avoid that eventuality. “I’m sure you’re good for plenty, but I wouldn’t want to tax the limits of our friendship.” Luckily, people were often self-absorbed, so Luke wasn’t worried that anyone was really paying the two of them any mind. “Let me know when she puts the plans into effect, I’d like to go into hiding. I’m sure you’ll get your chance to pull the lever. Maybe you should make sure you have the lever first.” He smiles a little at the statement. “No man may run from Fate. He may try, he may hide, but in the end, Fate will out.”

[laurel-hier]

Even with just a few seconds of her brother’s presence, Laurel could feel that familiar calm within. His words made her smile a bit more, appreciating the kind tone in them. For a moment she kept her hand in his, holding on to the reassurance the gesture could bring before she let go. “The creek sounds good to me” the girl replied as she got up, walking out of the café with him. “How was your day going before you had to come babysit for your sister?” she asked with a mildly humorous tone. After all, Laurel had no idea if he’d had any plans for the day that had been thrown away just so he could stay with her and help her stay stable.

[luke-hier-blog]

Luke often felt bad for the dependence he felt on Laurel. It was moments like this that gave him the reassurance that she needed him too. He felt her hand leave his at the same instance he felt her ability recede, leaving him back with his own, much more moderate, energy level. “Good, I was hoping you’d say that. Usually less people around there at this time of year.” Stepping out of the cafe, he laughed softly at her question. “It was alright. Been feeling kind of charged most of the morning, so running into you was probably the best thing that could have happened.” He walked automatically, following the familiar path to the creek. “Met another S-gene today, though. She’s an empath.”

[oliver-cross-booker]

“For Christ’s sake, Hier, not everything is about fucking.” Jokingly, he gives Luke an irked, judgy look. “Huh. I can dig that story. You be my army buddy?” He nudges his friend in the arm with the injured hand without noticing. “Pretending ain’t my best suit, bro.” Oliver is not a good actor. He can’t say something he doesn’t mean. “…Oddly, that’s how my dads started out.” He then gives a nonchalant shrug. “And you forget that these kinds of shits can’t embarrass me. I’m still huntin’ down your twin, lover boy. Also, give me your money to make it believable.” 

[luke-hier-blog]

“Obviously. With you for a friend, at least 90% of everything is about fighting. And the subsequent bragging.” He doesn’t react to the irked expression, keeping his own face calm and blank. At the question, he nods. “Sure. I’ve dragged your ass out of the line of fire enough.” He looks at Ollie’s injured finger, his worry clear. They needed to make friends with a healer if they were going to keep this shit up. “You don’t fucking say? I had know idea. I thought you were destined for stage. Proper actor, and all that.” The next comment gives him a moment’s pause, before he shrugs. “My parents met through meditation and a mutual dislike of St. Mary’s. Who’m I to judge?” Luke waves off the comment. “You embarrass yourself plenty, don’t need me for that. Go for it, Romeo. Piss off, you’re not getting my money. I just set your finger for free. A doctor woulda charged for what I did.”

[cora-clerval]

“True. Fair point, I’ll make sure to remember that next time my mom says something about it” she said with a decisive nod. Sibyl wasn’t as hard on her as Cora made it sound, but the Israeli had a way of pushing her daughter into combat training more than the girl liked. “That I do. But you know, being a bartender is kind of character building, which is great” she said with enthusiasm. Not that she needed any more character built into her, according to some people she already had to spare. “So you’re into bar brawls, huh? Shame. I’d tell you to stop by the bar, but you might get me in trouble so consider yourself uninvited” Cora told him with a grin, only half teasing. If he felt like stopping by at Patrick’s bar of course she wouldn’t have anything to say against it, and better yet, she’d prepare for him one of the drinks that were earning her fame there. For a moment she forgot about the people around them when Luke created that key, the girl completely forgot they were in a public area because she’d been fully absorbed by the incredible display of his gift. It was a simple key and she was genuinely amazed, Cora couldn’t even begin to fathom what other wonders he was able to create. “Are you kidding? How’s your sister more extraordinary than this? I mean- you literally just created something out of energy” she whispered the last bit. Not that any passerby was paying attention to them, but still “This is seriously cool, Luke. Kind of beautiful, but just generally cool” she spoke with a grin. Cora was aware that she was probably being too idiotic about this, but it felt like she’d just witnessed the coolest magic trick anyone could pull off. “Don’t look so scared, I don’t bite” she said in a calmer tone as she noticed his expression, but more so, sensing his fear. “Okay. I’ll stop if you say so” there was a nod accompanying her words “But I probably wouldn’t run” she said with blunt honesty, shaking her head a little. If she’d been more like her mother, she probably would accept the order without questioning. But on that account -helping others- she was more like her dad. Plainly stubborn, even to a pointless extent. Controlling other people’s emotions worked from a distance, but she’d found out that physical contant made the effect immediate. Cora took both of his hands in hers “Hey, look at me. It’s okay” she told him with a light smile as shut down his fear, that uneasiness she’s sensed since the library. She induced serenity into him, a sense of control and calm.

[luke-hier-blog]

“Tell her you met a guy who proves that maybe there is such a thing as too much training. At least then I can say I’ve done some good with my life.” The words were said lightly, with only the smallest hint of self-deprecation. “Character building is good, though I think some might question the use of a bar to achieve it. It’s not that I’m into bar brawls. I just have a low tolerance for stupid and my emotions tend to run higher than most people. I don’t blame you for uninviting me. I’ll just add it to the list.” It wasn’t that Luke looked for conflict.  That wasn’t it at all. He enjoyed the peace he found in the midst of a fight. Sure, he’d come out looking worse for wear. But there was a sense of calm that he found in the aftermath. He wasn’t quite sure how to answer the question about Laurel. “Her ability is kind of in direct opposition to mine. And the things she does require such precision and...delicacy. I don’t know how to explain it. She had a level of control I couldn’t dream of.” He just smiled warmly at her compliment, not really addressing it directly. At her statement, though, he gives her a serious look. “You may not. But my abilities do.” At her agreeing to stop, he nodded. But at her next statement, a harsh look crossed his face. “If my powers go out of control, you will die. You might not have any concern for that, but I’ve caused enough pain in my life, Cora.” He spoke softly, and deliberately. For a moment, he reminded himself of his father. He focused on her intently once he felt her hands in his, nodding slowly with a deep breath. Then, he wasn’t sure what exactly happened. The fear that had been tightly coiled in his chest faded away. The shifting feeling that he’d never been able to effectively name stopped, leaving him able to stand perfectly still for the first time since his ability manifested. He knew that the energy was still inside of him, that it was still very present. But it didn’t feel like it was pulling at the edge of his awareness anymore. It wasn’t pulling him apart. Instead, for the first time without Laurel, he felt entirely calm. It was a sense of stillness that would have scared him normally. “This is...I don’t know what this is.” His voice shook, and a tear slid down his cheek as he looked at her. “Thank you.” 

[luke-hier-blog]

◌, ▶, 🔲, ◉, ◖

◌ Mother/Father

My mum and da are amazing people. The hell they have both been through, and they guilt they have carried would have killed most people. Not them. They are stronger people than I have ever seen. They didn’t end up bitter and broken. Or maybe they did, but they also ended up compassionate and understanding. My mother is a soft voice when I’m afraid, because I feel the energy inside of me. She knows what it’s like to want control and how it feels to lose it. Da, he’s a steady hand and a patient gaze. When he taught us mediation, he could have gotten so pissed at me so many times. Because I can’t do it like he, mum and Laurel can. But da just found another way for me to do it. 

▶ Sibling

Laurel is everything I wish I was. She’s calm and collected, though before action. Her cross is no less heavy than mine, and yet she bears it with a quiet dignity I haven’t figured out yet. I know she’s scared a lot, but she’s just like mum. She’s got so much drive and control. And she’s brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. She got the brains, I got the regret. But she doesn’t make me feel bad about it. She is an anchor when I’m in the thundercloud, pulling me back down to earth before I do something I can’t forgive. She’s always been there and I don’t know what I’d do if she wasn’t. Sure, we don’t always see eye to eye, but when push comes to shove, we’ll take on the world for each other. 

🔲 Best Friend

I already talked about Laurel, and she’s my instant answer for this question. Leaving her out, it comes down to Ollie and Jimmy. Two vastly different lads. Ollie and me, we get each other. Sometimes, what you need most is an ass to kick. We’ve been through some shit, he and I. Never gotten arrested, though. So, I reckon we’re doing something right. Jimmy and I connect more intellectually, I guess is the way to say it. I mean, he’s smarter than I’ll ever be. But we understand what it’s like to live with an ability that feels more like it owns us rather than the other way around. The thing I don’t understand, that maybe I can’t understand, is why he works so hard to get rid of it. But I don’t say that. I give him the understanding he needs, and occasionally get him out of a tight spot. 

◉ Dream(s)

Since I reckon this isn’t asking about dreams as in the things I see when I’m asleep, I’ll spare you those stories. Never end happy, but so it goes. My dreams for the future are pretty simple. I want to be in control. I don’t want to have to worry about going to a coffee shop and obliterating everyone because I lost it. I want to know that I’m not going to kill everyone around me at any given moment. Career-wise, I still don’t know. I’d like to do professional MMA, maybe. Because I love the martial arts, and I enjoy fighting. But I don’t know. I considered following my Uncle Parker and opening a garage. I’ll figure all that out as I go. Mostly, I just want the control. And I want the same for Laurel. That, and happiness. She deserves good things. 

◖ Ideal Partner

I don’t know, honestly. On one hand, I don’t go looking for one specific ideal, because then I’m going to miss someone great, just ‘cause they didn’t fit the box I’d created. Plus, I’m not sure I’m ready to have a partner yet. I guess I’d hope they’d be the calm to my storm. Or maybe a storm that spins the opposite direction, so we unwind each other and let the dust settle. I tend to run high, so that’s going to be tough for most people to live with, and I get that. I need someone who understands that I’m going to ask for a lot of forgiveness, even if they don’t think I need it. 

[deanyw]

Visit Original Link

Mark Salling - Fugitive

[laurel-hier]

Seeing her brother there immediately brought a small smile to Laurel’s lips. She had a way of smiling like their mother did: a subtle gesture that could convey a lot of emotion for those who knew how to read it. “Thanks, I owe you one” she said, meaning both the coffee and the fact that he was here. She took his hand, musing on whether to stay or go. The moment her palm came in contact with her brother’s, she could feel all that null energy inside her and the vivid stream of power from within him begin to lessen, erradicating each other to the point where she could feel balanced again. “Let’s go” she finally decided, even if there was no urgent reason to leave now. “Do you want to take a walk or something?”.

[luke-hier-blog]

Seeing her smile, he gave her a steady look and a small smile of his own. She emoted like their mother, but he tended toward their father. “You don’t owe me a thing. Not ever.” He meant every word. As her energy cancelled his out, it was a like a light breeze on a hot day, like someone flipping off the generator to leave him with a rare moment of calm peace. He squeezed her hand gently, nodding when she decided. “Sounds good to me. We can go down to the creek for a while, maybe. Or to the park. Anywhere, really.”

[cora-clerval]

“It shows” she answered with a soft chuckle. Luke’s dad sounded like a pretty remarkable guy, and it was good to hear there were other people there like her who’d had unconditional support from their parents when learning to cope with their ‘talents’. “To my mom’s dismay I don’t train as much as I used to, so I probably am. Maybe just a little bit” the girl told him with a lighthearted tone. She didn’t take combat training half as serious as his mother did, but at least she’d been disciplined enough to keep going after years. His comment caused her to laugh a little, before a hand quickly covered her mouth, remembering where they were “I work at a bar, it’s not necessarily the go-to place to meet nice people. I meet fun people, though” she said with a shrug. She tilted her head to the side, giving him a warm smile. He was the first carrier she’d ever met that ever spoke of his concerns over what other people like them went through because of their powers. She hadn’t done that before and she supposedly empathized with people easily. Maybe they were all so focused on their own issues that didn’t bother to look at the rest, or maybe he was just a little more considerate than the rest. Once outside Cora could sense he had relaxed a little, his emotions didn’t feel so uneasy anymore. When he stopped, so did she, looking at him with raised eyebrows, already expecting him to tell her something. She didn’t expect him to show her, though. Seeing that bright blue key appear out of thin air materializing out of sheer energy was easily the most remarkable thing Cora had seen in a long time. She was uncharacteristically at loss of words, hazel eyes wide at the sight of it “Whoa” is the only thing that slipped out of her lips when she took the little object. It was pleasantly warm to the touch as opposed to the cold metal feeling of regular keys “This is extraordinary…” she whispered after examining the key closely, looking up to meet Luke’s eyes as a grin graced her lips. “That’s sounds like it’s difficult to control…” the smile vanished, understanding that the downsides of his power could be quite catastrophic. Luke felt better right now than he did back at the library, but she could still sense a bit of turbulence in him. “May I try something?” the girl asked, because she had that policy of not meddling with people’s emotions without their consent.

[luke-hier-blog]

Luke smiled warmly. “There are worse things you could do than not practice muay thai, so I imagine it balances out.” At her laugh, he looked around, seeing a couple of glances in their direction, but none that lasted long. He’d not have imagined her as a bar worker, but what did he know? “I imagine you meet all sorts. I’d not last ten minutes as a bartender. Some guy would mouth off and that would be the end of that. The number of bar fights I’ve been in stands as testament to that fact.” It was always tricky to figure out how to talk about abilities with other carriers. And his wasn’t exactly subtle or easy to show off. Luckily. any glow from his energy usually got assumed to be a cell phone. But showing her in public like this was kind of stupid. Still, the look of surprise on her face was kind of gratifying. It reminded him of when he’d first been able to shape his energy. That sense of wonder when he saw what he could do. It was a rare feeling. “My sister’s gifts are extraordinary. Mine are just a bit flashier.” He returned the smile, though it faded with her words. He nodded. Control was his and Laurel’s greatest struggle. At her question, he froze. Fear spiked in him, because what she asked was exactly what he’d been conditioned against. But, he forced himself to calm down, breathing slowly and evenly. “Yes, but if I say stop, you have to stop then. And if I say run, do it.” He could survive his energy, but she wouldn’t be able to if he lost control.

[oliver-cross-booker]

“If it was a word, it would be discrimination against people with less or more than ten fingers. And you are being a complete fingerist, man.” Oliver maintains his serious look quite well. He soon lets out a laughter. “Well, yeah, if my finger is being cooked that’s bad, obviously. I just can’t tell which hot is hurt-hot but not burning-hot. It’s fucking annoying, man. Hard to come up with the right reaction.” In a fight he can say adrenaline for an excuse, but in normal daily life, his analgesia strikes out. “Y’know what? I’m gonna find her, and introduce myself to her as Luke’s good friend. That’s gonna be the sole purpose of my life.”

[luke-hier-blog]

“Bullshit. It’d be something vaguely fetishizing. I have my kinks, but that ain’t one of them.” He matches the other’s serious face, holding it a bit longer once the other laughs. “When in doubt, just say your nerve endings got shot off in the war, and then get all despondent. Or just gauge your reaction off of everyone else. If they flip their shit, maybe it’s a good idea to flip yours.” He laughs. “You’re gonna have a sad life. I’ll match you sister for sister, though. Tell yours that I’m your illicit lover and that you keep promising me one day you’ll be with me forever, but really you’ve just been stealing my money.”

[melody-spencer-cohen-blog]

“You see, that is a very pessimistic view point. I still stand by my pun therapy quite confidently.” She says with a grin, then a short burst of laughter at what he replies. “That’s true. So, I’m guessing the ‘balls’ jokes are going to be my best bet if I ever go into stand up comedy.” She shows a slanted smile, nodding her head at his point. “Good idea, name it is. Can’t have such brilliance going uncredited now, can I?” She smirks. “Nice to meet you, Luke. ‘Grumpy Cat Jr.’, huh? No offence, but that is a much more exotic name than Luke. I think I’ll stick with that one.” She tilts her head. “Your da sounds like a cool guy. If he’s part cat, that is.”

[luke-hier-blog]

“I am genetically pessimistic, sorry. It’s a burden I bear daily.” He shrugs lightly, with a chuckle. “When in doubt, go with balls.” He suppresses the not so little desire to roll his eyes, settling instead for a slight shake of his head and a sigh. “Brilliance is a strong term, Lady Puns-a-lot.” He nods with a laugh. “Yeah, my da has a friend who started calling him Grumpy Cat years ago, ‘cause when he isn’t smiling, he tends to look a bit...well, grumpy. Like the Cat.” He shakes his head. “He’s Welsh, not feline.”

[luke-hier-blog]

Send a symbol to hear my muse talk about their

◌ Mother/Father

⌘ Guardian

▶ Sibling(s)

▣ Relatives

🔲 Best Friend

❥ Crush

◉ Dream(s)

◖ Ideal Partner

¡ Pet Peeves

☰ Occupation

✯ Perfect day

☂ Preferred weather

☢ Personality Flaw(s)

☑ A Favorite (book/movie/song/etc.)

[cora-clerval]

Her eyebrows rose, a clearly impressed expression settling on her face for a moment “Whoa, that’s a lot”. A small smile crept to her lips as he explained to her why martial arts gave him the peace and calmness he seemed to struggle to obtain sometimes “Well, that’s makes sense. And it’s a beautiful way of seeing it” she replied with a gentle nod. She’d meditated before, but she didn’t think she’d ever been entirely aware of her own self the way he mentioned. It would be nice to achieve that one day. “Maybe we could train together one day. I don’t do it as much as I used to, you could help me get back in shape” she offered with a grin. Cora was sure she could find time between her hours at the bar to train if Luke felt up for it. “Maybe. I don’t know. But that’s nicest thing anyone has said to me all day” the girl replied with a grin. She wasn’t sure if she was special in some way, more special than other S Gene carriers, as they all had to develop their own kind of strength to deal with the gift they’d been given. But it was certainly nice to hear what Luke had just told her. “Pleasure to meet you too” she responded after shaking his hand, and then the pair headed outside. As she passed through the door she gave him a nod and a smile, appreciating the gentlemanly gesture of holding the door open for her. Not every man did that these days. “So what’s yours? Your talent?” she suddenly asked. They both had been hinting at being S Gene carriers, she was sure she hadn’t misunderstood that part of their conversation.

[luke-hier-blog]

He grinned at her surprise. “Like I said, it’s my favorite coping mechanism.” He nodded in agreement. “My da is weird, sometimes. But with stuff like this, he’s kind of brilliant. “ He gave her a warm smile, and a nod. “That would be fun. I’m sure you’re not as out of shape as you think.” He wasn’t sure how to feel about hearing that was the nicest thing said to her all day. “Methinks you need to find nicer people to associate with. But I meant what I said. None of these talents are easy to live with. But it sounds like yours would break a lot of people.” Out of the library, Luke was instantly more at ease. He was up and he was moving. At her question, he paused for a moment to figure out how best to explain it. When he spoke, his voice was low enough that only she would be able to hear it. “Easy name is energy manipulation. But it’s a little more complex. I absorb energy. Any kind but kinetic, really. I convert it, and I store it. Then, I can use it. That’s why I don’t sit still well, why I meditate better in motion. Because I’ve got too much energy.” He let out a soft breath, focusing. In his hand, he formed a small key, the blue of his energy causing it to glow in the sunlight. He held it out for her to take, the metal warm to the touch, but not hot enough to burn. “I can make things out of it. Or I can use it offensively. Like a blast of energy. That’s the dangerous side, because if I get overcharged, or too emotional, that can happen without my doing.”

[jimmy-bright-blog]

“In that kind of movies, I would be the monster being chased.” He isn’t joking. It’s one of his recurring nightmares with variations of people being from klds from school to armies of international forces. “That’s what I’m here for. Ego support and semi-witty sarcasm.” Jim offers a half-smile. “She’s my mentor/evil master. She runs the lab I work.” He is pretty sure Wentworth would be looking for him to do some random organizing for her while he hides in the library. “Well, if you’re bitchy then so am I.” Chuckling, he opens and skims through the papers without really reading them. ”Chances are, I’m one of the little people hides away from reality. But really, have you seen the reality? It’s horrible.”

[luke-hier-blog]

“You and me both, my friend.” Anything bizarre or other was always hunted in those movies. A walking nuke fell soundly into that category. “I’m sure you’ve got more of a purpose than that, but I’ll happily accept those services. You can never have enough semi-witty sarcasm in your life.” He cocks his head to the side. “Is she planning world domination? Does that make you the Kronk to her Irma? Did you pull the lever?” He laughs softly. “We’ll be bitchy together, then.” He nods somewhat distractedly. “Reality is kind of shit, yeah. But escapism doesn’t make it go away. It’ll get you eventually.” 

[melody-spencer-cohen-blog]

“You see? You’re finally catching onto my wavelength. We could solve a mass problem, here.” She grins as she folds the book on her lap, fingers tapping the spine of it to some random beat. Her expression brightens even more when the tiniest inkling of a smile appears on his face, her excitement intensifying. “A smile! Ha! I saw it. I win.” She beams smugly, then raises an eyebrow at his question. She mulls it over for a moment, pressing her lips together as she thought. “Hmm. Well, ‘anonymous’ does give me an air of mystery I do quite like…” She trails off, before chuckling and shaking her head. “But, I shall end the suspense. Name’s Melody. Melody Spencer-Cohen. Though Mel will do. Either that, or ‘pun extraordinaire’. Whatever is to your fancy.” She laughs lightly, a slanted smile appearing. “And what do I call my victim?”

[luke-hier-blog]

“Or we’ll drive them further into the depths of depravity, ensuring that any hope they’d had of readjusting and joining normal society is lost. It could go anyway.” He doesn’t try to argue that she caught him smiling, instead just shrugging a bit. “You didn’t fight fair. It’s hard to hear the word balls and not smile.” He gives her a blank look as she contemplates remaining anonymous. “If you’re anonymous, you’ll never get the recognition for your work.”  He smiles when she introduces herself. “Well, Mel, I am a man of many names. I am also prone to exaggeration. I’m a man of one name. Luke Hier. Though I have been called Grumpy Cat Jr. before. That one makes more sense if you know my da.”

[cora-clerval]

Cora ended up smiling a little at his reply. There was an air of inevitability to it, because maybe they were that kind of people. The girl listened intently to him as he spoke, slightly marveled by the oddity of him feeling more at peace when he was in motion. Peace and calm were always thought to be achieved in complete stillness “That’s so different. But very interesting” she spoke, as usual blurting out exactly what was on her mind “Gaining peace when you do something as active as martial arts. I’m curious how that must feel like. I’ve done Muay Thai for almost my entire life and I’ve never felt that calmness when I do it”. She nodded in reply, closing the book before her. There was no use pretending she was even going to pay attention to it now “It’s a good talent to have. Most of the times it is, anyway” Being an Empath had its ups and downs, as all abilities it could be a blessing or a curse depending on the situation. Or in her case, depending of the person. “Sure, why not?” she answered with a carefree shrug, picking up her things and strapping her bag on her shoulder. By his choice of words she was 99% sure he’d picked up that her ‘talents’ were thanks to the S Gene. “Yeah, it kind of does” the girl smiled a bit, before holding out her hand to him “I’m Cora”.

[luke-hier-blog]

He shrugged a little in response to her comment, giving her an impressed look when she mentions Muay Thai. “I love Muay Thai. I also do capoeira, judo, aikido, tae kwon do, and I’ve been learning krav maga. I find the peace in all of them, because I have a focus. I know that each act has a purpose and my body almost acts on it’s own. My da always said that the peace of meditation comes from an awareness of your entire self. I’m never more aware than I am then.” He looked at her softly, knowing that if he was understand right, he would never want her gift in a million years. He could barely deal with his own emotions, he didn’t need to feel everyone else’s on top of it. “It takes a special kind of person to live with that talent, with a special kind of strength.” As she accepted his offer, he grinned, standing up. He took her offered hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Cora.” He started toward the door, holding it open for her when he reached it. 

[oliver-cross-booker]

“Oi, don’t be cocky about it. You did it because you can’t be friend with nine-fingered person. That’s fingerism.” He points at Luke with his broken but now supported finger. “Hmm. So it’s supposed to hurt when it’s too hot, right? That’d be inconvenient, especially when eating hot food.” He once shocked his friends by drinking a coffee that is ‘too hot’. “Whoa, whoa, okay, stop right there! I’m a fine specimen for a friend! You tellin’ me I’m not good enough to meet your sister?”

[luke-hier-blog]

“Oh piss off. It’s not fingerism. That’s not even a word. And if it was, it’d be something dirty, I’m sure.” He shrugs with a grin, just rolling his eyes as Ollie points at him. “That’s right, too hot equals hurt. Depending upon the type of heat, it could lead to burns.” He laughs loudly, shaking his head a bit. “You’re a fine specimen of a friend, yeah. Doesn’t mean I want you fraternizing with my sister. She’s got enough patience to deal with one man occasionally getting in to fights because he just can’t help it. And that’s me. You’re outta luck.”

[laurel-hier]

By the time Laurel went back to her table, the coffee she’d ordered was already cold. Some minutes ago she’d begun to feel too charged with her null energy and quickly headed to the bathroom, locking herself in there in case her energy got out of hand. It wasn’t much, but those four walls around her and the distance from all the people at the café were something in case she had one of ‘those episodes’… The girl sat on the floor, eyes closed, keeping an even breathing rhythm until she felt completely calm again. Only then she went back to her table and her now chilled coffee. “Excuse me, could you bring me the check?” she asked to the waiter with a bit of a resigned tone. She had to leave soon, before she began to feel out of control again.

[luke-hier-blog]

Ever aware, Luke had seen Laurel go into the cafe as he’d been walking by. He’d had a few minutes debate on whether or not to force his company on her, but ultimately, he felt better with her around and so he went in too, seeing her head to the bathroom. He ordered a coffee of his own, and paid for hers as well. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, and it only intensified the longer she was gone. When she finally came out, calling for the check he gave the staff a smile and walked over to her. “It’s been paid. Feeling a little amped?” He asked, using one of the code words they’d been using since childhood. “I’m here now, we can stay, or go.” Regardless of which she’d choose, he held his hand out to her, an offering of energy to give hers something to latch on to. Her null energy was one of the few kinds he had no control over, but he was always charged enough that if she got too charged, he always had excess to balance her out.