Suffocating (Open)

[Gabriel Rhys]

The sun was bright in the mid-day sky. Hair covered hazel eyes looked out the window. Those eyes could see the wind blowing in the trees. He could practically smell the sweet scent of it. Gabriel wanted to be outside. It didn’t matter what he was doing. He just wanted to be out of the classroom. It felt like the four walls were closing in on him. The cold white of the class was a shark contrast from the lush green outside. Almost all his life Gabriel Rhys had spent inside. Hiding behind closed doors had been torture. But what else could a young lycan do? His father had forced him to hide. Now that he was 18, he didn’t have to anymore. He was safe in a place that he could be himself. There was no more hiding. He could change. He could run, howl and hunt. He never felt more alive…but right now he was stuck.

He sighed audibly and looked over at his notes. If that was what you could call them. It was more squiggles and doodles. He didn’t care about finances. The tall wolf didn’t want to learn how a 401k plan worked. He would rather go outside. Anything out there would be better than in here. Sure he had signed up for the course, but the itch had hit him. It was the same itch that made the hair on the back of his neck. Tonight was the full moon. He could feel it. He smiled slightly, drowning out the professor’s lecture.

*Tick tock, tick tock* He wanted to growl at the clock. Intimidate it to move faster. He had five more minutes of class. It seemed to last an eternity. Each movement of the seconds hand was driving him slowly insane. Pointed canines ground against molars. “Hurry up”, he muttered softly under his breath.

Finally! The professor dismissed class. Grabbing his bag, Gabriel was out of the classroom with a flash that would put most vampires to shame. Just a few more feet out the door and he would be outside. The heat of the sun was the first thing that hit him. Letting out a sigh of relief, he walked towards the garden. His senses were on high alert and were hypersensitive. It was a rush.

His large frame stood out in the few crowds of people as he passed. He found a grassy knoll under a tree. His messenger bag landed on the ground with a soft thud. God, it felt good to be outside. If only he could do this all the time. He knew other wolves who didn’t have this problem. They could go all day without stepping foot outside, but Gabe was different. He had been locked away from anyone besides his mother for years, since he was seven. Resting against the tree he was able to finally relax.

[Aponi Lebennon]

Aaran was in a bad mood. To many, a tiny fuming fae boy, who seemed so cute, yet at the same time, so angry might be an object of great amusement. However, more recently, anyone that had laughed at him had accepted nothing less than a bio-crystallized fist in the teeth, followed by a drop-kick that could level black belts the world around with a single blow.

The source of Aaran's bad mood had been a sharp scolding from Aponi Lebennon, none other than his adopted mother. He had been in an almost terrifyingly bad mood with her for a while now, his mood reluctant to soften even when she had returned a few weeks ago.

However, it was only recently that he had learned that at the end of her phase of drunken uselessness, she had met a boy, about Aaran's age. He knew the outrageous woman too well. He didn't ask for details, even though she had told him that it was mostly innocent.

She hadn't been too pleased about his recent habits either. He'd taken up smoking cannabis upon occasion, and he'd made a drastic change to his appearance. Instead of the cutesy, or eastern dresses he had used to frequent wearing, he now wore jeans and a t-shirt with the words "FUCK THE WORLD" written in bold, almost scratchy capitals for the whole world to see. Of course, the outfits varied, the t-shirts often even more profanities on them, but overall it was his "Don't Care." Attitude which had been the biggest change in him.

He'd finally given up on pretending to the world. His father had tried to kill him, and his mother had just died, without considering the consequences. So what did he care about what they'd taught him as he grew up? Who wanted the world to think they were a girl anyway? It was just wrong.

He did, however, still wear make-up, also to Aponi's disapproval. His eyes were usually surrounded by black something or other, and his lips ranged from a deep purple to liquorice black. He had also gone into the city and had a streak dyed in his fringe - black to contrast the bright blonde of the rest of his hair.

He had just left a class, and was none too happy. His tutor had told him that he had anger issues, and that they interfered with his gifts. He had asked him whether or not it affected his cellular regeneration, and the answer was no. So, when he wanted to hit stuff, his body protected itself for him. Why would he want to change that? He had told the teacher to shut up, and, without realizing had used his verbal manipulation to get him to obey.

He walked across the grounds, to go and see if he could find Tommy in the university. Tommy would understand. The dear man had listened to his every word ever since he had given him a lift to his date, and he'd been only too keen to offer his advice. However, Aaran found that he hadn't seen him for a while and wanted to visit him again, just for the conversation.

He kicked a rock, his foot bio-crystallized beneath his heavy boot, and broke it clean in two, and sent one of the pieces rolling off towards a person under a tree. Aaran gulped. He looked like a big guy.

"Sorry." He called, warily, hesitantly coming a little closer, but keeping his distance to be safe.

[Gabriel Rhys]

Gabriel found himself relaxing quickly. His senses were so high still. He took a few breaths to calm his senses. Pools of hazel looked up at the sky. The sun was still high in the sky. It was only afternoon, but Gabe could feel the pull of the moon. It was a dull ache in his soul. Swallowing hard, he reached into his bag. He was outside. That was what he wanted. So he might as well get his homework done. He knew tonight he certainly would not get anything accomplished.

The words on the page were jumbling together. Normally he liked to read. It was relaxing, entertaining. But right now it just seemed like a chore. His mind was on other things. The wind through his soft brown fur. The feel of the ground under the pads of his paws. A soft pleased growl escaped his lips. He just couldn't wait for tonight. He could run free as a wolf anytime, but it was different when then the moon called to him.

His thoughts were shaken by a hard thud hitting him on the foot. The rock had rolled over to him. It had came from no where. It hadn't hurt. It had lost most of his momentum long before it had made contact with the sole of his leather boot. His eyes scanned around. He saw a small figure just a bit away.

Gabe stood up dusting off his worn jeans and straightened his blue button down. The figured had said they were sorry. He smiled a little. The wolf's brow raised questioning, when he got a good look at the words written on the tee shirt. Shaking his head softly he moved a little closer and sniffing the air subtlety. He had always said things weren't always as they appeared. This one was no exception. Appeared female but smelled male, but with something else. It was curious and that might have been why Gabriel spoke up. "Hey no foul." He smiled over. Sitting back on the grass. He knew his frame and height was intimidating. This made the playing field easier.

[Aponi Lebennon]

It took all of Aaran's self-restraint not to just run away as fast as he could when the boy stood up, and his large frame could easily crush Aaran's tiny girly one. He just stared as the boy appeared to sniff the air - Aaran knew by now that it usually meant that he was a lycan. The thought of a great howling beast fascinated him, much as it had with Rachel. He had to admit, this one wasn't as pretty as Rachel, but then again, the male body no longer interested him - he was only with Ithica because he loved him, regardless of gender.

"Thanks." He muttered quickly when the older boy let it drop. "Hey, your paper's about to fly away." he told him, as the wind picked up a little. "So, you're a university student, hmm?" He asked, eyeing him up and down, scrutinizing him thoroughly. "Unless you're just an overgrown academy student." He said, with a dry laugh. He felt his confidence building, and he was not nearly as nervous as he would have been when he first came to the academy.

The few short months he had been there had really changed him. He was no longer the shy, incompetent little boy he had been. He was a little maturer, and more self-assured, and he always act like he felt. He had also gradually dropped most of his female aesthetics, so now, the fact that people kept mistaking him for a girl was really not his fault. Mostly. He hadn't actually seen any of his friends, since he'd made the gradual change, and started admitting his name was really Aaran, so he didn't know how they would react. Then again, he really didn't have many friends.

And then there was Dorian. His memories of their meeting were few, but he had the picture of his face clear in his mind. He had to remember to look further into it. He was sure the man was British, and his last name was Wilde. He was also gifted. A coincidence, he thought not.

Pushing the thoughts of Dorian away from him, he concentrated on this boy, who's name he didn't even know yet. He'd have to rectify that.

"I'm Aaran." He held out a tiny hand with red painted nails. He winced visibly. He liked painting his nails. It wasn't a crime, he was sure lots of boys did it. "Aaran Wilde." He finished, smiling. He Bio-crystallized his hand, just in case the guy crushed it.

[Gabriel Rhys]

Apprehension was in the air. It filled the wolf's nostrils. It had taken the young man a long time to learn what that smell was. It was a light fear. The tiny boy was somewhat afraid of him. Gabriel was harmless unless he was pissed. He had no intention of harming him. He forced up a charming smile. His movements were calm and relaxed. His eyes looked over at the blond. He was about to question the looks that he was given when the young one said that his homework was flying away.

"Damn!" He growled quickly and jumped up to quickly catch his essay dancing in the breeze. One, two, three...oh crap. Where was page four? His eyes darted around the grassy knoll. There it was. The rogue paper had gained the most ground and blew further than the rest. He breathed a sigh of relief. His essay was saved. He hadn't mastered using a computer yet. His father hadn't allowed it. That his son might have told others what he was. so it had not been saved on a hard drive. The crumbled pages in his hand were the only copy of all his hard work.

During his struggle to grab the flying work, the boy had asked him if he went to school at the university. He nodded, returning back to the tiny figure. "Yeah. Transferred just last week. I've been playing catch up." He grinned and chuckled when the blond said that he might be an over grown academy student. "Ha but no, I missed out on the academy by a few years." That's what the tall man had wanted. He wanted to learn to control himself better. To find out what he really could do besides what he had learned during self-experimentation at home. "Just moved into town."

Aaran was his name. Gabriel was raised with manners long before he became a lycan. It didn't take much thought to take the tiny hand in his and shake it. He was gentle, sometimes he forgot that he was in fact stronger than humans. Honestly he hadn't paid attention to what was on Aaran's nails. People did there own thing. He didn't judge, Hell he had been judged all his life. Why spread that shit around? "Nice to meet ya. I'm Gabriel. But you can call me Gabe, Gabe Rhys." He noted that the small hand felt hard, unnaturally hard, but let it go.

[Aponi Lebennon]

Aaran smiled as he grabbed all of his papers. The feeling of having only one copy of something was familiar to him. Playing catch up was something Aaran was also used to. Having lived isolation most of his life, and then having gone on a crazy pilgrimage to India, where he met his grandfather.

"I know playing catch up. Spending a year of your life as a washerwoman puts you at a disadvantage. I'm screwed when I leave here." He laughed ruefully. Gabe seemed friendly enough, and Aaran curtsied gracefully when he told him his name. Wasn't Gabriel a girl's name? No, if anything, this guy was the exact opposite of girlish.

Gabe seemed nice enough, and Aaran was glad to run into someone who wasn't mocking him because of his appearance, or his weakness. He'd never really been beat-up before, partially because whenever he got into a fight he bio-crystallized. The results were more often than not pretty dismal for whoever tried to hurt him. Especially because a super-hard blow to the groin was not the easiest thing to recover from.

"Where'd you move from? Was it that people found out about your parents?" He asked, inquisitively. "Not that you have to answer." He said, shrinking back timidly. "I was curious as all." He said with a shrug. He sat down, and spread his useless wings out fully, golden dust going everywhere. He sneezed as he always did, and shook his head, shaking his golden hair.

"Uch. They'd be fine if they didn't hurt so much. They're nice and all..." he said, looking wistfully at his wings. He flapped them frantically, but no dice. It seemed that he'd never be able to fly. He sighed, and looked at Gabe. He'd never fly either. Somehow that made him feel a little better.

"SO, do you have any gifts?" Aaran asked, his face showing rapt interest. His mind, however wandered about the place they were, taking in all the colours and smells. It was already the end of summer. Summer was Aaran's favourite season - at home, summer had always meant going on walks to the hills. With a pang of regret he remembered that there was no home. He sighed once more, and focused his eyes on Gabe. Maybe Ithi'd be jealous if he saw them together, and he might get Aaran some sweeties.

[Gabriel Rhys]

The wolf resisted the questioning look that was threatening to come up on his brow, at Aaran saying he has been a washerwoman. Yet he simply listened to what the tiny figure. Gabriel leaned slightly forward and crossed his long legs, relaxing even more into a comfortable position. Breath quickly filled his lungs as the question was raised about his parents. Exhaling slowly, he shook his head, "no, its oik." He didn't mind answering the question. In fact, Aaran would be the first person to hear his tail. "I don't mind, I moved here from upstate. As for my folks..." He looked down at the blades of grass, taking a piece in his fingers. "They aren't like me. No one knew about me to find out. My dad hid me away for years. Hell, he even told everyone that I died after my attack. I guess having a wolf for a son was too much trouble for him. So when I turned 18, I got my trust fund and bailed. I haven't looked back.

Gabe looked at Aaran's wings with a sense of wonder and amusement. They were really something that he had never seen up close. He wondered what it would be like to use them and fly. The thought was passing though. Truth be told, the tall man di9dn't like heights. He liked the ground under his paws and claws gripping the dirt. "They're pretty." he commented. He liked them, even if they didn't work for flying.

The question took Gabriel back just a bit. He knew what gifts the blond was referring to. They were called the Gifted ones. Admissions had asked him a similar question, if there was anything else he could do? He had been tempted to ask what they meant. Was being a freak not different enough? But he understood now. He wasn't a freak like his dad said. He was special. Special that would one day co0st him twenty years off his lifespan. Shaking his head he looked up. "Nah, nothing out of being a wolf. Heightened senses, fast healing and turning into a big wolf." he chuckled. It was nice to say the words aloud. Nice to be able to speak freely about being a lycan. "Silver is a bitch though." He chuckled again but this time with a cringe. "This one time, I hugged my mom. Her silver bracelett touched my bare arm. It burned for hours and left a scar." The wolf realized he was rambling to the boy. The memory of hugging his mother was a bittersweet one.

Deciding to change the subject off himself, he tilted his head to the side. Curiosity still ran through him. This creature before his was so very different than all the normal people that he was used to. Gabe had thought for years that he was alone. It wasn't until he came here, had he realizewd that he wasn't alone anymore. Yet, with all the differences he had yet to meet anyone like himself, a lycan. "What about you? Can you do anything special?"

[Aponi Lebennon]

A werewolf. Just as he had suspected, but the confirmation was comforting, somehow. It was good to see that he wasn't the only one that had had a shit father. Aaran sighed, remembering his family. His view of them had been warped during the previous few months, and he saw his old home vastly differently to the old haven he had thought of it as. The Academy was his only home, and Aponi was his only family. He hadn't even seen Ithica in weeks, the flighty demon hadn't even bothered trying to talk to him.

"Hm. My dad tried to kill me. Twice. I got smart after the first time, and left." He almost spat the words with a great deal of contempt. "Though, that was when I was about sixteen, I think." He sighed, folding and unfolding his legs, his wings still idly fluttering and spreading golden dust about the place.

He began to talk of his mother and silver, and scars, and Aaran listened raptly. Gabe was very interesting, and Aaran could tell that they had a few things in common - even if it was only regarding their pasts. He cut off abruptly, and Aaran frowned. People were always so afraid to say what they wanted for fear of what others would say about them. He sighed.

"Unless someone off's me, I'll live forever." He said, in answer to his question. "And I can turn harder than rock as and when it pleases me, so the former isn't likely to happen any time soon." He sniggered. "I may look pathetic, but unfortunately for some, a kick to the groin from me could prove fatal to that family line. Usually though, the world is better off for it." He said, his eyes dark. "Sucks about that life-span thing. I'd give you some of mine, if I could."