Blissful Ignorance

Luke Sullivan. 20. I can't imagine anyone not being important enough to save.

[daisy-the-nice-one-porter-blog]

It’s not my fault! I’m bored and there’s never anyone around!

[luke-sullivann]

Maybe everyone got scared of your weirdness.

[daisy-the-nice-one-porter-blog]

There’s no one around why am I waving? Why am I talking to myself?

[luke-sullivann]

You're losing your mind, that's why.

[buzkoygecer-deactivated20160302]

[jordan-allred]

I feel like I'm forgetting something...

[jordan-allred]

Okay, just try to keep the messes you make to a minimum now. We don’t as many people willing to clean up after you now that we are here.

Same as usual.I’m actually starting to worry that we are getting too comfortable here. I know that’s it’s not my place to say anything though.

[luke-sullivann]

I’ll make sure I don’t make a mess, I promise. My practice will be as dry as possible.

You have a right to voice your opinion. This isn’t a dictatorship. I mean, I think if we’re comfortable with each other it’s better, but it might just be me.

[jordan-allred]

I feel like I'm forgetting something...

[jordan-allred]

You’re right! I’m sorry, I’ve just been so distracted lately. That shouldn’t be an excuse not to say hi to my best friend though.

Hi Luke, how are you?

[luke-sullivann]

I'm good. Just doing what I'm told and playing with the water when I can. It's a thrill.

How's life for you? Other than forgetful obviously.

[jordan-allred]

I feel like I'm forgetting something...

I hate this feeling.

[luke-sullivann]

Maybe you forgot to say hi to me, because you totally did.

[allcrdyce-blog]

Hey now, don’t go dying on us, Luke. You have the cans of beans to look forward to. Erm… you like beans, right?

[luke-sullivann]

It’s just so boring. Beans? They make for great jokes, so I guess we’ll get along alright.

[thenoahbarber-deactivated201608]

Everyone must be busy. Looks like it’s just you and me. 

[luke-sullivann]

I can work with that. So, Noah...uh, your face looks better.

[luke-sullivann]

This place is so dead. If someone doesn’t show up soon, I’m going to die of loneliness and boredom.

[luke-sullivann]

It's Just For Laughs || Luke&Oliver (Flashback)

Training, thinking, working out, it all took a toll on Luke. He was exhausted and frankly ready to fall over on the spot and sleep for a week. Finally, the boy feigned a stomach ache to get out of his workout early and go back to his room to take a much needed break, though he knew most of the others didn’t believe in breaks. It didn’t matter, though. Luke was beyond desperate. He’d take ridicule from the other trainers and graduates if it meant he got a half hour to breathe and not think.

Something like that didn’t come easy, though. He had to dodge scientist and other members of STRATUS, because if he told them the stomach ache story, he’d be sent straight to the infirmary and it would cause the very opposite relaxation. In fact, it would probably kill him if they found out he was faking. They’d work him twice as hard, and then he would pass out at random from exhaustion. As if that wasn’t bad enough, someone else was in the room.

Luke could’ve sworn they had mostly everyone doing something that wasn’t located in their bedrooms. It was rare to see a healthy person in the bedrooms after lunch, if it even happened at all. Finally, the boy knocked and entered the small room, seeing a boy with hair in the form of a bush was present, and frankly Luke had never spoken to him before. He didn’t even know if the guy was new or not? “Sorry to interrupt you, but I think you should be down at training.” The boy plopped on to the bed letting out a happy sigh. He then looked around the other boy, his eyebrows pulling together in confusion that the sight of glue bottles around the area. “What are you doing?” Luke finally asked, trying to piece it together.

[luke-sullivann]

Proving Yourself Right || Luke&Kate

[kate-randall]

"Keeping up with the news outside isn’t something that I would recommend focusing on right now. There’s not really any time for anything… fun.” Kate kept her eyes trained on the course ahead of them. She knew the Trails that wrapped it’s way through the woods surrounding the Barn almost as if she grew up there. Nearly every twist and turn of it was written into her mind from walking it everyday, whether she was alone or with her assigned trainees. “Maybe it’s a good idea that you’re getting to know everyone at some sort of level. After all, there is a possibility that we’re all going to end up staying with each other for at least a couple more years. If not, then maybe for the rest of our lives.” She kept walking, picking up her pace and lengthening her strides so they weren’t cautious small steps like they were before.

They still had three-quarters of a mile left to go before they would reach the destination that Kate had in mind. She knew it would be dark where she was leading him. The trees that would hang over head would block out the moon light, or just barely allow any to creep it’s way down to the forest floor. “How about we start the obstacle course here?” Kate stopped in her tracks and turned to face Luke. “Maybe you can run the next mile or so.” She started a light jog away from him before spinning around and calling back to him. “Or you can try and catch up to me.” As soon as she finished her words, she spun back around and began to pick up her pace from a jog into an almost sprint passing through the trees. She didn’t turn her head to see if he was catching up to her, or if he was even following her. Something in her knew that he’d be able to find her eventually, even if he couldn’t see where she exactly was anymore.

A few minutes passed, and she was still running. There wasn’t a chance that he was ahead of her, after all he didn’t have a clue where the course was. By now, she was less than a quarter mile away form the course. She picked up her speed into a sprint as she weaved her way through the trees. As she neared the small clearing that was to the left of the course, she slowed her pace down to a walk. She was right, the moon light barely reached the earth with the cover of the trees over head. The clearing she stood in was small, and it marked the beginning of the course where she’d occasionally take her trainees and see how they’ve been keeping up. A small flame started in her hand as she kicked a pile of fallen branches towards the center of the clearing. Just as she bent down and put the flames onto the branches, she heard someone approaching who she automatically assumed was Luke.

[luke-sullivann]

Luke shrugged when she said there wasn’t time for anything fun. “You’re gonna give yourself an ulcer if you don’t relax a little, ya know.” He was half joking, but he knew he was right at the same time. If all she did was work, work, work and never even give herself time to breathe, she’d end up killing herself. Maybe he was being a little dramatic, but there wasn’t much he could really do about it either way. He just sighed a little and kept following her, nodding when she mentioned they could be there for years. He wouldn’t be surprised if that ended up happening. STRATUS had to give up or close down before they could stop hiding, and who knew when that would be without the public support?

He noticed her pace quicken, and stepped a bit faster to keep up with her, and then she suggested jogging, which didn’t seem like a bad idea, frankly. Warming up was always a good idea. And then in a flash she had suggested catching her and was gone between the trees. He had a moment of delay, finally gathering himself, and he quickened his pace again, doing his best to follow her path. God what he wouldn’t give for super hearing instead. He stopped momentarily at a fork in the path, and tried to deduct which way she would’ve gone. All he had to do was think like Kate. Think like your opponent, right? One of the paths was darker and obviously more dense, and if Kate didn’t love a challenge, no one did. He took the denser path, the way getting darker as he went along, he smelled smoke, and where the was smoke there was fire. He finally followed his nose, slowing his pace as he reached the clearing where Kate stood. It was dark and near impossible to see your hand in front of your face let alone the course. He moved to where Kate was, seeming to light a fire which obviously wouldn’t give off much light, but maybe he wouldn’t better be able to see what he was doing.

He held his breath for a moment, trying to hide his light pant from the run. It worked, but it was the Hardass, he was sure she noticed regardless of his attempt to hide it. “So. This place is dark.” He muttered as he looked around. Regardless, he was itching to start and prove that Piper could train just as well as anyone else, even if it wasn’t classic training. He needed to prove his place in the hierarchy was appropriate. He just needed to prove himself to be better than what the others thought.

[rusticautumnleaves]

[thehunterharem-deactivated20140]

Exactly. It’s even worse when that happens and everyone who’s around informs you that you talk in your sleep. That’s an awkward situation I don’t want to wish upon anyone.

[luke-sullivann]

Well that must've been uncomfortable. I'm definitely sleeping off the tired now, 

[luke-sullivann]

Proving Yourself Right || Luke&Kate

[kate-randall]

Kate heard his voice start from behind her and get louder as he jogged to his side. It wasn’t usual for her to have small talk conversations with people around her, typically she left it to them to find their own entertainment. Without looking at him, she answered his question. “About a mile and a half out on the Trails. Hope you’re good with climbing as well.” She continued on in silence with Luke falling in place next to her. Most of the time when she was out on the Trails, she was surrounded by recruits or off by herself, never with another person. It just felt different than things had before. She heard him pick up his voice once again, trying to fill the empty silence that hung in the air.

"Never gave it much thought. I kind of just… walk. I don’t have a whole lot of time left over with having to look after all the crap you and the rest of the lot do." Kate knew it was a lie. She didn’t just go around and walk. Nearly every time she has even the slightest bit of free time, she’d begin to think about what she would do to get back at those who worked at STRATUS. The weight of the guilt from all the people she’s sent to death hung on her ever since she first heard the news of the supernatural dogfights. Just like everyone else, she went into a bit of a shock. The fact that the organization that improved their lives was taking them away without any sort of warning.

A short gust of wind blew past the two of them, raising goosebumps on Kate’s covered arms. Despite having been in the same area for the past ten years or so of her life, she still hasn’t been able to get used to the brisk air in the later months. Kate rubbed both of her hands together, allowing a small flame to grow between them. The small fire warmed her up significantly and disappeared as soon as it appeared. For the first time since they left the Barn, she looked at Luke walking beside her. “And what exactly do you do? Besides goofing off and trying to make people laugh.”

[luke-sullivann]

He nodded. A mile and a half. That wasn't too bad especially at the pace they were going. He could handle that, no problem. Climbing might be a slight challenge however. If there was one thing that he could approve upon, it was his climbing skills. It wasn't that he couldn't climb, it was that he wasn't...coordinated with it. He never had been. It didn't matter, though. Voicing that would only lead to more teasing for him and for his fellow recruits. None of them really deserved that. Maybe they didn't have the same agility training as Graham and Kate's recruits, but they had strengths just the same. 

Luke nodded at her answer. It was very Kate, just as he assumed it would be. She wasn't much for fun...at least he didn't think so. "But don't you do anything for fun? Even just reading newspapers or anything?" Newspapers were solenm and usually pretty boring. It seemed very Kate to him. He felt the chilling night breeze brush past and tried not to act cold. He really wasn't all that cold, but air in the face was never a nice feeling, especially if it was a cold wind. It wasn't as bad since they had been living in the wilderness lately, but all the same, he didn't like it. It messed with him, but it was a small obstacle compared to what it took to start a life out in the woods.

Her question reached his ears and he laughed a little. The two things he was known for were exactly what she had said. "Hey now, I get all my work done sooner or later. I don't slack off all that bad. But I also make people angry through pranks that are slightly evil but not dangerous either...usually. I also usually just...socialize. Get to know the people around camp. I figure we should considering we all live together in such proximity and we all will for a while at that." He laughed a little, though the statement was true. They were going to be around each other most likely for the rest of their lives. Their abilities were in their DNA. it wouldn't wear off, and the possibility of it being passed down to the generation after them was there too. They would have to create their own little civilization out here. He couldn't really tell if he liked that idea or not. He just knew whatever lay ahead of them, it wasn't going to be a smooth ride. All they  had to do was hang on and try and look on the brighter side of things as hard as it may be. 

[thehunterharem-deactivated20140]

You should get some rest, it catches up to you faster than you think. I learned the hard way after a shift a few weeks ago.

[luke-sullivann]

Will do. Last thing I need to do is go and fall asleep in the middle of doing something else.

[thewalkingfreeman]

That’s why I nab the day shifts quickly, push all the other fuckers out the way if it means you getting it first!

[luke-sullivann]

Whatever you say.

[thewalkingfreeman]

Lazy sod there is always going to be that extra hour you can push yourself towards

[luke-sullivann]

Whatever you say. Why don’t you give it a try, asshat. It’s tiring staring at trees all night.