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[Log] Newbie tour~
Who: Jackal Kuwahara & Kirihara Akaya
When: Jan. 4-ish, Akaya's first day on campus~
Where: Various places around campus.
What: Jackal shows the newbie around.
Rating: PG. Might actually be G, but going PG just to be safe. ^^;
Jackal showed up in front of the junior dorm with a grin on his face. He always seemed to throw new students for a loop, walking around in the middle of snow in shorts, short-sleeves, and sandals. He'd actually opted for a pair of jeans this time, since most of where they'd be walking wouldn't get the bottoms of his pants wet. It would be interesting to see how this one took it, since so far, he seemed pretty normal. Of course, no one at this school was truly normal, but that was kind of beside the point.
Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Jackal waited. New kid should be showing up any time.
Akaya had quickly put on a warm jacket and his chucks before he ran out of the room, almost forgetting his phone. Once he had grabbed it he hurried to get outside where his personal guide would wait for him. Dark skin he had said.
Ah that must be him.... For a long moment Akaya just stared at the boy in front of him. Did that guy have no feelings? Standing around in shorts and short-sleeves?
“Uhm... I’m Akaya, the new one”, he stammered not sure what to think of that guy, it was cold after all.
Jackal chuckled a little to himself. "Name's Jackal. Been here since I was sixteen, so, I guess you could say I'm a veteran here. Been through the paces a few times.... It's kind of like a normal school, but...well. Try to expect the unexpected. A lot of crazy stuff can happen in the blink of an eye... Don't let it get to you. It's best if you can just...go with it." For now, he made no effort to explain his choice in clothes... it was always fun to watch the newbies guess and try to figure it out for themselves. "Well, shall we?"
With a little nod Akaya shoved his hands in his pockets. They were already starting to get cold. “Are you sure you don’t want to put on something warmer?”, he asked the other boy, after Jackal had explained him to expect the unexpected. “Or are you... dunno... some kind of lizard? You know... cold blooded and all that.” He wondered if a power like that was possible, at least it would be better than what he had gotten. “But uh sure we can go if you want.”
Jackal's grin grew. Last time he gave a tour to someone, he'd made them keep guessing the entire time.... He decided not to be that cruel to this one, though. "We do have a student that's...part snake, I think. He's cold-blooded, so the winter here is really hard on him. Kaidoh, is his name." He led Akaya out a little ways, to where the path from the senior dorm met the one they'd travel. "Senior dorms are over that way. Girls' dorms are over there, near the junior dorm," he paused, pointing in the direction of the respective dorms as he spoke. "Me, on the other hand..." he smiled and reached out, putting the back of his hand against Akaya's cheek. "I run exceptionally warm. It's a side effect from my power. I'm immune to heat, and my high body temperature means I almost never get cold. You will rarely, if ever, see me in pants. You'll see me in long sleeves even less."
“Ah right I think that’s my roommate”, Akaya said when he heard the name Kaidou. At least he read that name on the door if he remembered right. So that one was part snake? There were surely some strange mutants but well they all were strange in their own ways. “Wah... you’re really warm”, the boy said surprised with big eyes and wrapped his hands around Jackals hand. “Doesn’t it get really warm in summer or does it feel normal for you?”, he asked curiously. But then he realized that he still held the other’s hand and quickly let go. “Ah sorry... it’s the first time being with people like me”, he admitted with a shy smile and scratched the back of his head.
"If anybody else ran as warm as I do, it'd be time to rush them to the nearest hospital. But..." Jackal shrugged. "Doesn't bother me. And...like I said, I'm immune to heat. It feels warm, though I don't think it gets exceptionally hot all the way up here in Hokkaido, it is warm enough for most people to be able to go swimming... I notice the temperature changes, but neither one really affects me any." He didn't mind if Akaya wanted to hold his hand, but he chuckled a little when the younger boy dropped it. "It takes some getting used to, being around others with special abilities. And we've got quite a range... My roommate controls ice. I control fire. There's one kid whose power changes the strength of other people's powers. There's a healer kid and a guy with wings... One of the teachers is a mermaid, if I remember properly-oh! People say she keeps a monster in the lake. No idea if it's true or not, but...you might want to be careful just in case."
With a little nod now and then Akaya tried to memorize everything Jackal told him. So there were really many different kinds of powers. “Okay... that sounds pretty cool. Are there any... well students who can’t really control their powers, like... it can be dangerous for others to get close to them?”, he asked worried that he might be the only one that was really dangerous for his surrounding.
Jackal had to nod at that. "Most of the first years don't really have good control. The kid who changes the strength of other people's powers is one of them...from what I understand, he's got almost no control over his. Oh, and there's my firekin~ Her name's Miyuki. She doesn't seem to have hardly any control, either. We do have a senior here who is technically a first year...He arrived last semester, and I don't think he has that good of control either." He wasn't real sure about Tezuka...after all, he didn't talk to the guy much. Maybe he should change that.... "Ah. Here's the main building. Come on, we'll go in out of the cold and I'll show you around in there. First stop, the training rooms."
Slowly Akaya nodded at that. “So... it won’t be strange if I might mess up?”, he asked carefully, worried that he might hurt somebody, but still he tried to not show his worry too much. But if there were so many that couldn’t control their power yet then it probably wouldn’t be too bad that he couldn’t either.
“Yes please let’s get inside”, the boy then laughed as he was starting to get really cold. “Honestly it’s freezing. I never knew winter could be this cold”, he grinned as they stepped inside.
Jackal chuckled and held the door open for Akaya. "If the cold gets to you too much...you should know that I have an open-door policy with snuggles. Cuddle Season, it's come to be called around here. When people want to warm up, they either call me to come to them, or they come to me directly. It's all platonic, just curling up with a source of warmth and someone to talk to." Well, it wasn't always platonic, but Jackal always behaved himself and let the other person indicate if they were after something else.
"And no. It's never strange, here, if you make mistakes or things get a little out of control. It happens to all of us. Or at least, if it doesn't now, it did before. We've all been there, new to our powers, trying to figure out what triggers it, what stops it, how to counteract it... Fire's easy, compared to some. Never go anywhere without a fire extinguisher, just in case. Always practice near as few flammable materials as possible. And even though I don't like water, practicing near the pool or the lake means that if nothing else, there's plenty of water to throw on anything that starts to burn." He led the way around a corner and down a hall, towards the training rooms. "That's why the training rooms were good for me. The walls are protected with flame retardant materials, and there's a sprinkler system that sets on if the fire gets too hot or too big. The rooms are actually resistant to nearly every power that we've got here." Jackal pushed open a door, revealing the interior of one of the rooms.
“I might actually take you up on that”, Akaya laughed and didn’t thought too much of cuddling with another boy if it was just for getting warm again. After all why not using the powers they had to for something good if it was possible? Nodding now and then Akaya listened to Jackal’s explanations. With a power like his it was probably easy to prevent bad things to happen once you found out but with Akaya’s power. He wondered if he could be able to keep his head clear during his other form one day. It would be at least something even if he wouldn’t be able to stop the transformation at will.
“I wonder how my training will look like”, the boy mused, looking around in the room that Jackal showed him. The bad thing was, there had to be somebody training with him because he needed to get angry and he never managed to shift when he was alone. He knew since he had tried to learn to control it on his own but he never had been able to trigger it on his own.
Jackal grinned. "Any time. Door's always open for it." He meant it, too. "Mm...Depends a little on what your powers are. Elements seem to be similar, so even though my roommate's the opposite power, techniques to control could be the same, or close to. And the staff might pair you up with someone who's got a similar power to yours, if there is someone. Like me and the little firebug. Who better to help control a fire power than a fire user, right?" To demonstrate the room's effectiveness, Jackal stepped in a little, though motioned for Akaya to stay back. It took a little extra focus, without kindling, but along the far wall, Jackal made a fire. He let it climb for a moment, until the wall was covered, floor to ceiling, end to end. Then he snuffed it out. The wall looked as clean and un-charred as it had before Jackal's fire engulfed it. ".....What is your power, anyway? If you don't mind my asking?"
With wide eyes Akaya watched the other set the far wall on fire. And it was actually real fire, no illusion because he could feel the heat. “Wow, cool”, he grinned widely and ran towards the wall once the fire was extinguished again to see if the wall was actually warm or not. But as soon as he touched it he winced back again with a little yelp. It was still hot. Shaking his hand a bit the boy walked back to the other. “I don’t know how I should name my power... It’s like I’m part werewolf. When I get angry I might snap and my body changes partly leaving me without rational thinking. It doesn’t last long but... it is pretty dangerous for others. The best way to stop meagain is by using silver or by waiting a few minutes until it stops”, Akaya explains. There was no use hiding his power as the other might see it someday and then it was better if he knew how to stop him.
".....You....might want to meet the twins, then." Jackal figured, since Ryou had told him it was a secret, that he shouldn't go around advertising that the two turned into tigers...but maybe even without them revealing that, there was the potential that they could be helpful to him with control and things. "They're catboys. Tiger-like ears and tails. I don't know if that makes them similar enough to be helpful to you, but...at the very least, it couldn't hurt." The catboy part was common knowledge, so Jackal had no problem sharing that. "Kisarazus Atsushi and Ryou. They're third years, like me. And very friendly."
“I’ll talk to them then, Thank you Jackal-senpai”, the boy smiled, glad that he had found a place where he wasn’t looked at as a freak. “We’ll just have to find out if they are similar enough and if not... perhaps the teachers will know whom I can ask for help.” Now he was here it just could get better after all.
Jackal smiled and, because he couldn't help himself, he ruffled Akaya's hair. "That's what we senpai are for, right?" He gave the younger boy a little nudge leading him out of the training room. "C'mon. There's still a whole lot to show you, and we should get as much as we can in before it gets dark, and even colder out than it is already."
With a light chuckle Akaya let the other ruffle his hair. There was probably no way to get it even more messy than it already was so he was fine with the other ruffling his hair. “It gets even colder?”, Akaya asked with a sigh and wondered if he should have gotten even warmer clothes for the winters up here. He was no person for the cold and liked summer and spring more than winter but he couldn’t chance the weather. If there were people who could change the weather, he then wondered.
“Okay is there much to see outside?”, he then asked curious where they still had to go.
Jackal just laughed. Of course it got colder. The world always got colder, no matter where you were, when the sun wasn't out. Didn't help that it was Hokkaido, and this far north the days were short and the nights were long this time of year. "You're going to want to make sure you've got plenty of warm clothing. The town's not terribly far, and it's got most everything we could need on a regular basis." He showed Akaya around, to the library, the infirmary, the classrooms...
"There's a garden, outside," he told him, passing by a window that actually had a view of it. "Actually, if you really wanna skip going outside again, I'm pretty sure there's spots where you can at least see what's out there... There's a hedge maze, the pool, tennis courts, and of course, the lake..."
“Urgs”, Akaya sighed, “Seems I’ll have to buy new clothes soon then.” Well it couldn’t be changed if he didn’t want to freeze to death or something. “Can we go down into town when we want, or are there rules about that?”, he then asked curious as he hadn’t read all the rules so far, he was just too lazy for that.
Looking out of the window Akaya saw part of what Jackal told him and he grinned widely. “A maze sounds awesome I’ll have to look at that once it gets a bit more bearable outside. And Tennis courts sound awesome as well. Is there a club or is it just for those who want to play in their free time?”, he wondered as he always had liked to play tennis.
Jackal walked him around to the side of the building where he could get a glimpse of the maze from the windows. "As long as we're not skipping classes, they don't really care when we go into town. There's a bus that makes regular trips, but it does do a last run. Miss that and you either spend the night in town or walk...and this time of year, you don't want to walk." He pointed out the maze in the distance. "I think I remember hearing about a student who likes to change the maze around from time to time...so if you like that kind of thing, it's usually a challenge. ...As for tennis...I think it's just for those who want to play. But we do have a guy who organized a Judo club, so...if you're up for organizing it, you could probably make a tennis club."
“Then it’s good. I hope the town has a game center”, Akaya grinned as he looked at the maze. He would try to reach the end at least once just for having done it. He liked challenges like that. “Mah I’ll have to make sure not to miss the last bus then, don’t wanna sleep in town in my first weeks of school. Doesn’t seem to be the best idea.”
But when Jackal said that he could organize the Tennis club the boy started to laugh. “No thank you. I’ll leave the organization to people who actually are good at that kind of stuff. I would be horrible I bet.”
"I don't know about that. I've never been into games much...or maybe I just haven't found the right games," he shrugged. "Never tried the maze, either...I can't really explain it, but I get the feeling the hedges don't like me much," Jackal chuckled. Probably because he could burn them down with a snap of his fingers, if he felt like it. Not that he would, but the potential was there.
He grinned and gave Akaya a nudge down the hall. The tennis courts and the pool were a little hard to see from the building, so he led Akaya towards the door nearest their destination that would take them outside. "Some people are cut out for that kind of thing. Some aren't. To each their own, right?"
“You get the feeling the hedges don’t like you?”, Akaya asked confused. “I don’t know about that stuff. I’m not very good with plants”, he smiled slightly and followed the other as they went outside. Instinctively the boy got closer to Jackal where it was a bit warmer of course. “Yeah and I’m not cut out for it and I’m totally fine with that. I can’t be perfect in everything right?”, he laughed.
Jackal chuckled. "Think about it. If you were a plant...would you want someone around, knowing they could snap their fingers and you'd be gone?" For emphasis, he snapped, and let a little spark fly, but no real fire. Just the spark and nothing more. "I sure wouldn't! I'd be scared, and possibly defensive...." He shrugged a bit. "Not that the plants talk to me or anything. They don't. It's just kind of a feeling I get. Probably my own paranoia." At least he never had dreams about plants trying to kill him. Just water. Occasionally. "Hmm....maybe you could talk someone else into doing it, then. Someone who is cut out for that kind of thing. There's bound to be someone, here, that would go for it."
“Hm... okay that’s true”, Akaya sighed and looked at the spark at Jackal’s finger, wrapping his arms around the other’s arm to get a bit more of his warmth. “But your power has it’s good sides as well after all. And I’m sure you wouldn’t want to set them on fire on purpose”, he said with a smile and looked up at the other. “Mah first have to find somebody who is cut out to organize a club and who’s interested in Tennis. Sounds pretty difficult”, he sighed.
Smiling, Jackal nodded. "I wouldn't. And..." He poked Akaya's cheek. "Everybody's power has good sides. Some are just more obvious than others." They reached the tennis court which was, like most things, covered in snow and virtually useless this time of year. "Nah. Wouldn't be nearly that hard. Use the journal. Just make a post... Something about being interested in a tennis club but not the right kind of guy to start it... At the very least, you'll find other people who'd want to join, if not someone who might start one."
“You really think that every power has it’s good side?”, Akaya asked, wondering if his had a good side as well. Though his was probably very well hidden.
“Ah right the journals”, he then laughed to change the subject again. “I haven’t gotten used to that. I never heard of a school using journals like that. It’s pretty cool actually.”
"Of course. It might not always be something you can use in an everyday situation, but...there's always good sides. Like my grandma says about voodoo. It's not inherently good or bad. It's how you use it that makes all the difference in the world." Jackal believed the same about their powers. None of them were good or bad by nature; they all had pros and cons and ins and outs of use, but used the right way, even powers like Dan's could be good things.
"There's a lot about this place that takes getting used to. Don't worry. You'll adjust before you know it."
“Hmmm”, Akaya frowned slightly but nodded. “So if I’m able to control my power I can actually help other people with it”, he mused wondering if he would be able to really control it one day. “Thank you Jackal”, the boy then smiled. Perhaps the other was really right and he would be able to live with his power one day rather than suppressing it so he could live a decent life.
“I just hope I’ll adjust to it all quickly and find a lot of new friends.”
"Course you can. Doesn't matter what your power is...there's always a way to use it to help instead of hurt. …..I always say I'd make the best firefighter. I can run in and save any people trapped, since the fire and heat won't hurt me, and then --with a little more practice, of course-- I can put out a blaze of any size." Right now, he was better at starting them, but he'd manage to learn.... Jackal slung an arm around Akaya's shoulders. "It's what I'm here for. Me, and all the others here, too. Everything will be alright. And you'll find that this place...might just be where you meet the best friends you'll ever have, because no one understands what mutants go through better than other mutants. You'll fit right in."
Hearing these words, words that he had longed for since he had realized that he wasn’t normal, it was... important to him. Jackal probably didn’t know how deeply he had touched Akaya just now and the boy quickly lowered his head, so the other would see neither the blush creeping into his cheeks, nor the tears that tried to fight their way down his face. No he wouldn’t cry, not here and not now. “Thank you Jackal-senpai”, the younger boy said with a slightly hoarse voice as he looked up at the older boy again, fighting his tears down which just increased the blush on his cheeks and around his nose.
Jackal gave Akaya a slightly tighter squeeze, but aside from that, he did and said nothing to acknowledge the state Akaya was in. No need to cause the kid the embarrassment. "Come on. Let's get you back inside. The cafeteria makes some amazing hot chocolate that'll warm you right up." Using his arm around Akaya's shoulders, he tugged the younger kid along. There'd probably be lots of people in the cafeteria; what better way to get Akaya to start settling in?
“A hot chocolate sounds perfect”, the younger boy smiled widely and followed the older boy inside again. He would definitely have to get some warmer clothes if he wanted to survive the winters up here. But beside that Akaya felt that it was the right decision to attend Ryuzaki academy after all. Perhaps here he could really find a place he could call home at last. Time would tell.
When: Jan. 4-ish, Akaya's first day on campus~
Where: Various places around campus.
What: Jackal shows the newbie around.
Rating: PG. Might actually be G, but going PG just to be safe. ^^;
Jackal showed up in front of the junior dorm with a grin on his face. He always seemed to throw new students for a loop, walking around in the middle of snow in shorts, short-sleeves, and sandals. He'd actually opted for a pair of jeans this time, since most of where they'd be walking wouldn't get the bottoms of his pants wet. It would be interesting to see how this one took it, since so far, he seemed pretty normal. Of course, no one at this school was truly normal, but that was kind of beside the point.
Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Jackal waited. New kid should be showing up any time.
Akaya had quickly put on a warm jacket and his chucks before he ran out of the room, almost forgetting his phone. Once he had grabbed it he hurried to get outside where his personal guide would wait for him. Dark skin he had said.
Ah that must be him.... For a long moment Akaya just stared at the boy in front of him. Did that guy have no feelings? Standing around in shorts and short-sleeves?
“Uhm... I’m Akaya, the new one”, he stammered not sure what to think of that guy, it was cold after all.
Jackal chuckled a little to himself. "Name's Jackal. Been here since I was sixteen, so, I guess you could say I'm a veteran here. Been through the paces a few times.... It's kind of like a normal school, but...well. Try to expect the unexpected. A lot of crazy stuff can happen in the blink of an eye... Don't let it get to you. It's best if you can just...go with it." For now, he made no effort to explain his choice in clothes... it was always fun to watch the newbies guess and try to figure it out for themselves. "Well, shall we?"
With a little nod Akaya shoved his hands in his pockets. They were already starting to get cold. “Are you sure you don’t want to put on something warmer?”, he asked the other boy, after Jackal had explained him to expect the unexpected. “Or are you... dunno... some kind of lizard? You know... cold blooded and all that.” He wondered if a power like that was possible, at least it would be better than what he had gotten. “But uh sure we can go if you want.”
Jackal's grin grew. Last time he gave a tour to someone, he'd made them keep guessing the entire time.... He decided not to be that cruel to this one, though. "We do have a student that's...part snake, I think. He's cold-blooded, so the winter here is really hard on him. Kaidoh, is his name." He led Akaya out a little ways, to where the path from the senior dorm met the one they'd travel. "Senior dorms are over that way. Girls' dorms are over there, near the junior dorm," he paused, pointing in the direction of the respective dorms as he spoke. "Me, on the other hand..." he smiled and reached out, putting the back of his hand against Akaya's cheek. "I run exceptionally warm. It's a side effect from my power. I'm immune to heat, and my high body temperature means I almost never get cold. You will rarely, if ever, see me in pants. You'll see me in long sleeves even less."
“Ah right I think that’s my roommate”, Akaya said when he heard the name Kaidou. At least he read that name on the door if he remembered right. So that one was part snake? There were surely some strange mutants but well they all were strange in their own ways. “Wah... you’re really warm”, the boy said surprised with big eyes and wrapped his hands around Jackals hand. “Doesn’t it get really warm in summer or does it feel normal for you?”, he asked curiously. But then he realized that he still held the other’s hand and quickly let go. “Ah sorry... it’s the first time being with people like me”, he admitted with a shy smile and scratched the back of his head.
"If anybody else ran as warm as I do, it'd be time to rush them to the nearest hospital. But..." Jackal shrugged. "Doesn't bother me. And...like I said, I'm immune to heat. It feels warm, though I don't think it gets exceptionally hot all the way up here in Hokkaido, it is warm enough for most people to be able to go swimming... I notice the temperature changes, but neither one really affects me any." He didn't mind if Akaya wanted to hold his hand, but he chuckled a little when the younger boy dropped it. "It takes some getting used to, being around others with special abilities. And we've got quite a range... My roommate controls ice. I control fire. There's one kid whose power changes the strength of other people's powers. There's a healer kid and a guy with wings... One of the teachers is a mermaid, if I remember properly-oh! People say she keeps a monster in the lake. No idea if it's true or not, but...you might want to be careful just in case."
With a little nod now and then Akaya tried to memorize everything Jackal told him. So there were really many different kinds of powers. “Okay... that sounds pretty cool. Are there any... well students who can’t really control their powers, like... it can be dangerous for others to get close to them?”, he asked worried that he might be the only one that was really dangerous for his surrounding.
Jackal had to nod at that. "Most of the first years don't really have good control. The kid who changes the strength of other people's powers is one of them...from what I understand, he's got almost no control over his. Oh, and there's my firekin~ Her name's Miyuki. She doesn't seem to have hardly any control, either. We do have a senior here who is technically a first year...He arrived last semester, and I don't think he has that good of control either." He wasn't real sure about Tezuka...after all, he didn't talk to the guy much. Maybe he should change that.... "Ah. Here's the main building. Come on, we'll go in out of the cold and I'll show you around in there. First stop, the training rooms."
Slowly Akaya nodded at that. “So... it won’t be strange if I might mess up?”, he asked carefully, worried that he might hurt somebody, but still he tried to not show his worry too much. But if there were so many that couldn’t control their power yet then it probably wouldn’t be too bad that he couldn’t either.
“Yes please let’s get inside”, the boy then laughed as he was starting to get really cold. “Honestly it’s freezing. I never knew winter could be this cold”, he grinned as they stepped inside.
Jackal chuckled and held the door open for Akaya. "If the cold gets to you too much...you should know that I have an open-door policy with snuggles. Cuddle Season, it's come to be called around here. When people want to warm up, they either call me to come to them, or they come to me directly. It's all platonic, just curling up with a source of warmth and someone to talk to." Well, it wasn't always platonic, but Jackal always behaved himself and let the other person indicate if they were after something else.
"And no. It's never strange, here, if you make mistakes or things get a little out of control. It happens to all of us. Or at least, if it doesn't now, it did before. We've all been there, new to our powers, trying to figure out what triggers it, what stops it, how to counteract it... Fire's easy, compared to some. Never go anywhere without a fire extinguisher, just in case. Always practice near as few flammable materials as possible. And even though I don't like water, practicing near the pool or the lake means that if nothing else, there's plenty of water to throw on anything that starts to burn." He led the way around a corner and down a hall, towards the training rooms. "That's why the training rooms were good for me. The walls are protected with flame retardant materials, and there's a sprinkler system that sets on if the fire gets too hot or too big. The rooms are actually resistant to nearly every power that we've got here." Jackal pushed open a door, revealing the interior of one of the rooms.
“I might actually take you up on that”, Akaya laughed and didn’t thought too much of cuddling with another boy if it was just for getting warm again. After all why not using the powers they had to for something good if it was possible? Nodding now and then Akaya listened to Jackal’s explanations. With a power like his it was probably easy to prevent bad things to happen once you found out but with Akaya’s power. He wondered if he could be able to keep his head clear during his other form one day. It would be at least something even if he wouldn’t be able to stop the transformation at will.
“I wonder how my training will look like”, the boy mused, looking around in the room that Jackal showed him. The bad thing was, there had to be somebody training with him because he needed to get angry and he never managed to shift when he was alone. He knew since he had tried to learn to control it on his own but he never had been able to trigger it on his own.
Jackal grinned. "Any time. Door's always open for it." He meant it, too. "Mm...Depends a little on what your powers are. Elements seem to be similar, so even though my roommate's the opposite power, techniques to control could be the same, or close to. And the staff might pair you up with someone who's got a similar power to yours, if there is someone. Like me and the little firebug. Who better to help control a fire power than a fire user, right?" To demonstrate the room's effectiveness, Jackal stepped in a little, though motioned for Akaya to stay back. It took a little extra focus, without kindling, but along the far wall, Jackal made a fire. He let it climb for a moment, until the wall was covered, floor to ceiling, end to end. Then he snuffed it out. The wall looked as clean and un-charred as it had before Jackal's fire engulfed it. ".....What is your power, anyway? If you don't mind my asking?"
With wide eyes Akaya watched the other set the far wall on fire. And it was actually real fire, no illusion because he could feel the heat. “Wow, cool”, he grinned widely and ran towards the wall once the fire was extinguished again to see if the wall was actually warm or not. But as soon as he touched it he winced back again with a little yelp. It was still hot. Shaking his hand a bit the boy walked back to the other. “I don’t know how I should name my power... It’s like I’m part werewolf. When I get angry I might snap and my body changes partly leaving me without rational thinking. It doesn’t last long but... it is pretty dangerous for others. The best way to stop meagain is by using silver or by waiting a few minutes until it stops”, Akaya explains. There was no use hiding his power as the other might see it someday and then it was better if he knew how to stop him.
".....You....might want to meet the twins, then." Jackal figured, since Ryou had told him it was a secret, that he shouldn't go around advertising that the two turned into tigers...but maybe even without them revealing that, there was the potential that they could be helpful to him with control and things. "They're catboys. Tiger-like ears and tails. I don't know if that makes them similar enough to be helpful to you, but...at the very least, it couldn't hurt." The catboy part was common knowledge, so Jackal had no problem sharing that. "Kisarazus Atsushi and Ryou. They're third years, like me. And very friendly."
“I’ll talk to them then, Thank you Jackal-senpai”, the boy smiled, glad that he had found a place where he wasn’t looked at as a freak. “We’ll just have to find out if they are similar enough and if not... perhaps the teachers will know whom I can ask for help.” Now he was here it just could get better after all.
Jackal smiled and, because he couldn't help himself, he ruffled Akaya's hair. "That's what we senpai are for, right?" He gave the younger boy a little nudge leading him out of the training room. "C'mon. There's still a whole lot to show you, and we should get as much as we can in before it gets dark, and even colder out than it is already."
With a light chuckle Akaya let the other ruffle his hair. There was probably no way to get it even more messy than it already was so he was fine with the other ruffling his hair. “It gets even colder?”, Akaya asked with a sigh and wondered if he should have gotten even warmer clothes for the winters up here. He was no person for the cold and liked summer and spring more than winter but he couldn’t chance the weather. If there were people who could change the weather, he then wondered.
“Okay is there much to see outside?”, he then asked curious where they still had to go.
Jackal just laughed. Of course it got colder. The world always got colder, no matter where you were, when the sun wasn't out. Didn't help that it was Hokkaido, and this far north the days were short and the nights were long this time of year. "You're going to want to make sure you've got plenty of warm clothing. The town's not terribly far, and it's got most everything we could need on a regular basis." He showed Akaya around, to the library, the infirmary, the classrooms...
"There's a garden, outside," he told him, passing by a window that actually had a view of it. "Actually, if you really wanna skip going outside again, I'm pretty sure there's spots where you can at least see what's out there... There's a hedge maze, the pool, tennis courts, and of course, the lake..."
“Urgs”, Akaya sighed, “Seems I’ll have to buy new clothes soon then.” Well it couldn’t be changed if he didn’t want to freeze to death or something. “Can we go down into town when we want, or are there rules about that?”, he then asked curious as he hadn’t read all the rules so far, he was just too lazy for that.
Looking out of the window Akaya saw part of what Jackal told him and he grinned widely. “A maze sounds awesome I’ll have to look at that once it gets a bit more bearable outside. And Tennis courts sound awesome as well. Is there a club or is it just for those who want to play in their free time?”, he wondered as he always had liked to play tennis.
Jackal walked him around to the side of the building where he could get a glimpse of the maze from the windows. "As long as we're not skipping classes, they don't really care when we go into town. There's a bus that makes regular trips, but it does do a last run. Miss that and you either spend the night in town or walk...and this time of year, you don't want to walk." He pointed out the maze in the distance. "I think I remember hearing about a student who likes to change the maze around from time to time...so if you like that kind of thing, it's usually a challenge. ...As for tennis...I think it's just for those who want to play. But we do have a guy who organized a Judo club, so...if you're up for organizing it, you could probably make a tennis club."
“Then it’s good. I hope the town has a game center”, Akaya grinned as he looked at the maze. He would try to reach the end at least once just for having done it. He liked challenges like that. “Mah I’ll have to make sure not to miss the last bus then, don’t wanna sleep in town in my first weeks of school. Doesn’t seem to be the best idea.”
But when Jackal said that he could organize the Tennis club the boy started to laugh. “No thank you. I’ll leave the organization to people who actually are good at that kind of stuff. I would be horrible I bet.”
"I don't know about that. I've never been into games much...or maybe I just haven't found the right games," he shrugged. "Never tried the maze, either...I can't really explain it, but I get the feeling the hedges don't like me much," Jackal chuckled. Probably because he could burn them down with a snap of his fingers, if he felt like it. Not that he would, but the potential was there.
He grinned and gave Akaya a nudge down the hall. The tennis courts and the pool were a little hard to see from the building, so he led Akaya towards the door nearest their destination that would take them outside. "Some people are cut out for that kind of thing. Some aren't. To each their own, right?"
“You get the feeling the hedges don’t like you?”, Akaya asked confused. “I don’t know about that stuff. I’m not very good with plants”, he smiled slightly and followed the other as they went outside. Instinctively the boy got closer to Jackal where it was a bit warmer of course. “Yeah and I’m not cut out for it and I’m totally fine with that. I can’t be perfect in everything right?”, he laughed.
Jackal chuckled. "Think about it. If you were a plant...would you want someone around, knowing they could snap their fingers and you'd be gone?" For emphasis, he snapped, and let a little spark fly, but no real fire. Just the spark and nothing more. "I sure wouldn't! I'd be scared, and possibly defensive...." He shrugged a bit. "Not that the plants talk to me or anything. They don't. It's just kind of a feeling I get. Probably my own paranoia." At least he never had dreams about plants trying to kill him. Just water. Occasionally. "Hmm....maybe you could talk someone else into doing it, then. Someone who is cut out for that kind of thing. There's bound to be someone, here, that would go for it."
“Hm... okay that’s true”, Akaya sighed and looked at the spark at Jackal’s finger, wrapping his arms around the other’s arm to get a bit more of his warmth. “But your power has it’s good sides as well after all. And I’m sure you wouldn’t want to set them on fire on purpose”, he said with a smile and looked up at the other. “Mah first have to find somebody who is cut out to organize a club and who’s interested in Tennis. Sounds pretty difficult”, he sighed.
Smiling, Jackal nodded. "I wouldn't. And..." He poked Akaya's cheek. "Everybody's power has good sides. Some are just more obvious than others." They reached the tennis court which was, like most things, covered in snow and virtually useless this time of year. "Nah. Wouldn't be nearly that hard. Use the journal. Just make a post... Something about being interested in a tennis club but not the right kind of guy to start it... At the very least, you'll find other people who'd want to join, if not someone who might start one."
“You really think that every power has it’s good side?”, Akaya asked, wondering if his had a good side as well. Though his was probably very well hidden.
“Ah right the journals”, he then laughed to change the subject again. “I haven’t gotten used to that. I never heard of a school using journals like that. It’s pretty cool actually.”
"Of course. It might not always be something you can use in an everyday situation, but...there's always good sides. Like my grandma says about voodoo. It's not inherently good or bad. It's how you use it that makes all the difference in the world." Jackal believed the same about their powers. None of them were good or bad by nature; they all had pros and cons and ins and outs of use, but used the right way, even powers like Dan's could be good things.
"There's a lot about this place that takes getting used to. Don't worry. You'll adjust before you know it."
“Hmmm”, Akaya frowned slightly but nodded. “So if I’m able to control my power I can actually help other people with it”, he mused wondering if he would be able to really control it one day. “Thank you Jackal”, the boy then smiled. Perhaps the other was really right and he would be able to live with his power one day rather than suppressing it so he could live a decent life.
“I just hope I’ll adjust to it all quickly and find a lot of new friends.”
"Course you can. Doesn't matter what your power is...there's always a way to use it to help instead of hurt. …..I always say I'd make the best firefighter. I can run in and save any people trapped, since the fire and heat won't hurt me, and then --with a little more practice, of course-- I can put out a blaze of any size." Right now, he was better at starting them, but he'd manage to learn.... Jackal slung an arm around Akaya's shoulders. "It's what I'm here for. Me, and all the others here, too. Everything will be alright. And you'll find that this place...might just be where you meet the best friends you'll ever have, because no one understands what mutants go through better than other mutants. You'll fit right in."
Hearing these words, words that he had longed for since he had realized that he wasn’t normal, it was... important to him. Jackal probably didn’t know how deeply he had touched Akaya just now and the boy quickly lowered his head, so the other would see neither the blush creeping into his cheeks, nor the tears that tried to fight their way down his face. No he wouldn’t cry, not here and not now. “Thank you Jackal-senpai”, the younger boy said with a slightly hoarse voice as he looked up at the older boy again, fighting his tears down which just increased the blush on his cheeks and around his nose.
Jackal gave Akaya a slightly tighter squeeze, but aside from that, he did and said nothing to acknowledge the state Akaya was in. No need to cause the kid the embarrassment. "Come on. Let's get you back inside. The cafeteria makes some amazing hot chocolate that'll warm you right up." Using his arm around Akaya's shoulders, he tugged the younger kid along. There'd probably be lots of people in the cafeteria; what better way to get Akaya to start settling in?
“A hot chocolate sounds perfect”, the younger boy smiled widely and followed the older boy inside again. He would definitely have to get some warmer clothes if he wanted to survive the winters up here. But beside that Akaya felt that it was the right decision to attend Ryuzaki academy after all. Perhaps here he could really find a place he could call home at last. Time would tell.