Keep Growing

[casey]

--open

Generally people didn't appreciate getting stabbed. Honestly, Casey mostly agreed with that assessment. It was a painful process. Particularly when it went entirely through the skin, and you could move the giant steel needle along with your hand. It also wasn't entirely pleasant watching blood fly everywhere.

But Casey had to test out his new powers. Find out the limits. He'd done the same thing when he'd first developed them, and now that it was apparently expanding, he needed to test it out further. Grunting, he grabbed onto the spike and worked it out of his hand.

He stared at the gaping hole for a while, willing it to close. To his astonishment, the wound slowly knit itself together, not even scarring the surface of his hand. It still hurt like hell, and his hand felt oddly tired. He closed and opened his fist a few times, testing it out, grunting with satisfaction.

"Scythe's going to have fun killing me now," he chimed. He grinned like an idiot, opening and closing his hand a few more times. Things were finally looking up.

[©erridwen Corrigan]

Cerridwen was well for once in Jeans. It wasn't the fact that it was cold out that made her put on jeans, it was the fact that going on campus, she wanted to LOOK like a student and not feel out of place, and she really didn't want to get strange looks from anyone. Not today. She wanted to try a new idea she had. Live models. In Action, she wanted to see how well she could accomplish this. So here she was now, observing this young man who apparently was working with his powers? Gifts? What...what were they anyways?

It didn't matter now, it was the fact she couldn't get his jaw exactly right that was what was frustrating her to no end. Ugh. If he could just...stay still for a moment more...Cerridwen thought as she shifted in her seat. Her feet were propped up on another chair as she lounged around watching him a bit.

As Cerridwen looked on, she watched, such a peculiar human he was...her mind couldn't wrap around how his hand just...instantly healed like that. Oh if Eryk could have had something like that, how useful it could have been. Not that it mattered now of course. With her hair tied back, and her eyes watching, narrowing every now and again, she would continuously study him, and then sketch a little, then study and sketch, and this went on some time, and the beauty of it was, she was so silent, she went unnoticed. Cerridwen was like that though. It was quite easy to look past her, think of her as nothing. She was silent. The silent type, and certainly did not attempt to attract attention. A silent beauty perhaps, but certainly not loud, nor rambunctious.

Now it was all about getting just jaw right, the sharp feature of his face, that and his eyes, but she had long since finished his eyes, the fierce, piercing eyes that could pierce your soul at just a single glace. He couldn't possibly have been a student here, maybe like her, he was coming, the training center, it was well equipped and he looked like...a fighter alright. Those eyes were just...to trained...no way was he a naive student here still learning.

[casey]

Eyes were on him, watching him intently.

Despite Casey's faults, and there were many, he could generally tell when someone was watching him with interest. Throughout his childhood he'd been the ignored, awkward child. Part of the reason he wound up in Wingrose, he expected. Then they trained him to become even more invisible with his Agent training: seen only when he wanted to be seen.

Well, right now he didn't care that much if someone watched him. But it did arouse an interest in the Agent. He looked away from his recently recovered hand, eyes sweeping the training center. Well, honestly, there were quite a few people watching him. You didn't see someone wiggle a spike through their hand that often. Even in the Academy. So that didn't help much.

Finally, Casey noticed a fairly beautiful woman who alternated between staring at him and doodling in a pad. Smiling, Casey waved shyly at her. Pretty girls didn't generally stare at him, unless he was wearing someone else's face. So, uh, what was he supposed to do now? Go up and talk to her? He didn't recognize her, but Casey didn't know everyone here. So he looked down at his hand again, trying to figure it out.

[©erridwen Corrigan]

Cerridwen knew how he felt. Knew what it was like. To be ignored, to be seen through, invisible. So when his eyes were upon her, she knew he was watching, not that she knew he felt the same way, only a telepath could have picked up that thought, and by no means was Cerridwen a mind reader. No if she was a mind reader, then she certainly wouldn't be like this..alone in a training center no less drawing. Though it made her stop for a moment and wonder...where would she have been if she hadn't been a fae...or if she had a gift like the humans.

Looking up, she watched him wave shyly which only made her smile and retreat her eyes down to her paper. So maybe she had gotten his eyes wrong. But...they had looked so fierce when he was 'playing' with his spike...how could they be so...shy, so vulnerable all at once, change so dramatically.

Humans. Pfft. So difficult to understand. Maybe THAT was why Minerva refused to deal with them, and only met with the leader of the humans every few months or so if not longer then that alone.

Cerridwen looked up again, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and offered up a small wiggle of fingers in order to gesture small insignificant wave. It wasn't like something obnoxious and loud, just...small, unnoticeable, just like her. With that, she went back to studying him and his movements, his ways, the way his arms moved and how he shifted on his heels every so often.

[casey]

He needed something else to shove through his body. Something to distract him from the beautiful woman staring at him. Yes, woman. Because when she waved Casey had gotten a better look, and had determined that she was, in fact, a woman. Not some lost girl student, but a young woman. Which distracted the Agent more than he cared to admit.

He wandered around a bit, looking for something. Yet he found his eyes kept drifting over to where the girl sat. Still drawing, still eying him. Would the sketch be accurate? Should he go over and pose?

No, Casey was reading too much into this. He should just ignore things. Probably just a well-meaning artist who'd seen an interesting subject. Interesting...

Casey smiled, and shifted slightly, increasing an inch in size. His nose grew slightly longer, and his hair turned slightly lighter. Smiling, he wandered over to weapons, greeting some people standing nearby. He pretended to look over the pointed implements, though kept most of his attention on the woman.

[©erridwen Corrigan]

Cerridwen wanted to laugh. What was this? This was as it seemed turning into some type of strange game between them? Though as he tried ignoring her she could tell, she couldn't help but pull her eyes away. This...well it was after all rude to stare, and he obviously was trying to train, work, and she was probably just distracting him.

Oh what a bother.

Cerridwen went for a few minutes just shading and sketching in a background behind him, a small part nothing big but just...to fill up the rest of the center of the page, and when she looked up again, she was...well startled. What had been there before..his nose for one, was well...oh my. Larger. And his hair? Lighter? She had an eye for detail and when he shifted she noticed, though she didn't know what he did, or if she had just been totally wrong before which that had never happened but still. This was...all wrong. Her sketch, his facial features...a bit of it was now incorrect and it well to be quite frank bothered her.

Looking startled and slightly disturbed, Cerridwen went back with her eraser to start over on his nose and had to go back and change his hair, making it...softer, not so dark. Ah. What a bother and a mistake this was turning out to be. Maybe she wasn't ready to start with live action models yet.

Shifting in her seat, Cerridwen pulled her eyes back and down to the sketch, making sure to keep a small portion of her sight on him. Cerridwen was going to make SURE she didn't mess up again.

[casey]

Satisfied that the artist had seen him, Casey moved along, pretending that she hadn't. A few steps, and his shape shifted slightly again. This time his hair grew slightly, his nose returned to its normal shape, and his skin tone lightened just slightly.

Again he looked to the artist, smiling slyly. This was quite fun, and a good test of his abilities, really. How many little changes could he make before she began to suspect something? For that matter, what would be most noticeable? Apparently the hair lightening hadn't been quite enough. If it came to it, he might just change his sex or make his hair start sparkling. That would certainly get her attention.

Casey wandered over to the weapons, running his hand along blades. Most of the Gifted students didn't bother with blades. Unless you had enhanced reflexes or adoptive muscle memory, they were pretty worthless. Still, they would do well enough for Casey.

He ran a finger along a blade, wincing as it opened his skin. Blood trailed along the weapon, but by the time Casey withdrew his hand, the wound was gone. He smiled, pleased with this new discovery. He turned in the artist's direction, wiping his bloody finger on his dark pants.

[©erridwen Corrigan]

Every time she looked up, there was something new there, something different. Oh bother! She was a very flustered girl as she tried fix everything, and he just kept changing! Was he a fae? Was he glamoring? Oh what was he doing! He was frustrating her! Like all the men in her life it seemed these days. And he wasn't even in her life! Ugh! Why could someone not even in her life do this! Ugh! Frustrate her so much. Finally she got up and marched over to him and looked to him.

"you!" She flushed red as she looked to him, and yet again he had changed. Surprise surprise. "You! You keep changing!" She uttered. She felt her knees quaking for various reason and shook her head. "Stop!" Cerridwen finally shook her head and with that marched back over to her sketching pad before he could get a word in.

Sitting back down with a 'hmph' Cerridwen began trying to fix the drawing and trying to replicate his former face.

Another thought occurred to her and standing once more she went over to him again "And another thought! I loved you...your other face more! It had more shape to it, and it was unique, and I loath this one. Your hair, I don't like it, your nose I want it to go back and your skin was not the light!" Cerridwen said and turned her back to him wincing mentally. SHe was rather being straight forward but in her defense...she was DONE with men. Men and their tricks. Because that's all they ever did. Play tricks and tease and leave...and be hurtful.

Sitting once more, Cerridwen looked at her sketch and sighed thoughtfully.

[casey]

Apparently Casey had upset the artist, which had not been his intent. Frowning, he shifted back to his normal form, stepping toward her. Should he talk to her? Apologize for his game? But she was clearly angry with him. And the last thing Casey wanted to do was speak with someone who was angry. Particularly when they were angry with him.

He paused, standing there. Uncertain of what to do, he shoved hands into pockets and looked around. No one else really paid attention. At this school people shouted at random people all the time. Casey could hear a few shouts from where he stood.

Frustrated, Casey turned back to the artist. She had trembled. Why had she trembled? Had he made her that angry? He hadn't thought what he'd done was all that bad. A little frustrating, sure. But to tremble with rage?

He took a few steps forward, then paused. No, he shouldn't bother. Shouldn't get involved. Yeah, that was his best bet. He took a few steps back, turning.

[©erridwen Corrigan]

Cerridwen sat back down her cheeks burning. Red. She was bright red. Why hadn't she just left it alone? She could have found a new subject, someone else. It was his face structure. She had to admit, even Eryk hadn't had this structure to his face, it was so...different, unique, and she was just drawn to it. That was why it frustrated her, he kept changing the beautiful appearance, that appearance that drew her in originally.

She felt slightly weird now. After all she had just yelled at him, scolded him, and now she was staring at him again? Was that even right to do? It didn't...feel right. Not really. Cerridwen discovered this, when her green eyes slowly traveled the floor and went from the floor to his feet and then up to his waist ending at his renaissance structured cheek bones.

Well should she go apologize? She hadn't mean to be so...angry. She had probably taken out her frustration with all men...out on him. Over something so small too.

She really did feel bad.

Cerridwen stood slowly, but sat back down. He was probably afraid of her. Some crazy fae. It wasn't like they had the best reputation, and of course they weren't considered to be normal. Sane. She could thank Minerva for that rep. Oh how she had so much to thank her for.

Cerridwen debated with herself, for sometime, she had to apologize so with that she tried catching his eye's. Cerridwen thought about just getting up and living, or just getting up and saying sorry...but that wasn't fun, that and she didn't want to leave her spot again, so waving him over would have too do.

[casey]

She was still staring at him.

What had he done? Well, besides the whole shape-shifting thing. Which Casey supposed warranted some staring and whatnot. But why would someone be looking at him in the first place? He certainly didn't have anything unique about him, not compared to most of the people in this place. Maybe the light had just caught him in the perfect angle or something.

Wait, she was waving him over now. Oh, great, maybe she'd caught him staring. This was going to be a whole bunch of awkward. Maybe he should just vanish. Duck behind a bleacher and take on a different face. Definitely a preferred alternative to confronting a pretty girl.

But Casey was supposed to be an Agent. And he worked with Fey now, so he should be used to talking to beautiful women by now. Still, that awkward Wingrose boy was still in there, and couldn't be quite quashed.

Taking a bracing breath, Casey strolled toward Cerri, managing a half smile. He stopped just short of her spot on the bleachers, hands in pocket, trying to figure out what he should be saying.

[©erridwen Corrigan]

The poor man, he looked so...awkward walking over towards her, and he looked...like he would rather be elsewhere. Well to bad. Cerridwen followed him, her eyes on him, watching his every move. An almost creepy thought if think you about it, Cerridwen's eyes, trained to pick up even the slightest change, it came with being an artist. No big deal to her. Other people, sure it may have taken them a few minutes, but her, she had picked up on it in an instant. Snap.

When he stopped, Cerridwen blinked for a minute smiling slightly back, a shy small smile. "I'm sorry...that I er...snapped at you" She said quietly. She didn't have a loud voice...when she wasn't yelling. When Cerridwen was normally calm, more submissive, quiet, and quite the observer.

"I...er didn't mean to yell at you, I just, was frustrated..." She admitted standing to what shake his hand? Introduce herself? Isn't that what the human's did? They...shook hands? Why would someone do such a thing...it was an invasion of personal space, but then again...if that's what she did...she had never shaken hands with someone...at least not formally. Not even when she met Eryk, or his dad, or even his sister did she shake hands, she smiled bowed her head and said her name, unless...that's how they did things here too? Quite frankly...Cerridwen did NOT want to touch his hand...certainly not.

Cerridwen reached up to fix her clip, and clip back more of her hair, getting it out of her face. "I'm Cerridwen" She said debating with herself to stick out her hand.

Finally coming to a solution...she would wait for HIM to stick out his hand...then she would know or not. "And er...here I believe this belongs to you" She said whirling around to tear the picture out of her sketch book. "It's not perfect...and it has I know a bunch or eraser marks...but that was your original face...before you changed..." Cerridwen said hesitantly, still eying his face, looking it over making sure it hadn't changed again. "Your jaw...I couldn't do it justice. I'm sorry..." Cerridwen admitted almost feeling defeated. Alas maybe another time...and another attempt and she would possibly get it right.

[casey]

Why was she acting awkward? Surely she couldn't be as nervous as he... that just didn't make sense. Oh well, Casey would just have to roll with it.

"It's alright, I'm used to be yelled at," joked Casey, shrugging. It was true though. Generally the young Agent got yelled at by somebody on a daily basis. How his life went, he supposed.

She kept fidgeting, and it looked like she was mulling over something. But what? Why some strange guy had walked up to her in the middle of a training center? Maybe she wasn't supposed to be here? Maybe she actually was a student? This just didn't make much sense, and generally Casey could make sense of these things...

"Casey," he offered in response to her name. It struck him as... unusual. For that matter, she did look ethereally beautiful. Faerie or demon, probably. Never could tell which, not without more information.

"Err... what?" Casey blinked. It was his? What did she mean by that? Curious, he stepped closer, looking at the picture.

"oh, that's me," he said. Very intelligent response, no? "Hey, looks good to me..."

Like Casey knew anything about art. "Sorry about the shifting thing, I was just trying to play a little joke. Guess it wasn't funny, huh?"

He shifted nervously.

[©erridwen Corrigan]

This had proven to be significantly awkward. This was not good, not at all, and when he looked at the picture she looked down at it as well. Maybe she was just to hard on herself when it came to these things? Maybe it was good, great in fact. Did it really, honestly matter if she couldn't get one aspect of him right? Just the jaw? How important was the jaw after all? Cerridwen paused her eyes on the jaw and cringed. One of his most intimidating feature, a jaw, a strong jaw, the bones set just right, sharp, terrifying. Though his eyes told different, that against that intimidating jaw, there was kindness, in his eyes, and in the way he offered up a small awkward smile.

Maybe she was focusing to much on one part of him, one individual part, when in reality she should focus on the whole, the thing, the object, not just a part of the circle but the entire circle, that's if we were speaking in analogy's.

Cerridwen nodded "Yes..." She said slowly. "It's your image, your look, I drew it, so I believe this belongs to you yes?" She inquired offering up the drawing. Honestly what was she going to do with it? It wasn't exactly like she was a creep and hung up pictures of strangers she didn't know on her bedroom walls. That was just passing the borderline of creepy. You especially didn't hang up their picture after you had yelled at them...twice.

The green eyes blinked and looked up to him. "Er..yeah." She nodded "It was...amusing. The first time around" She murmurmed though in all honesty she had thought it to be cruel, and horribly annoying. Was he an annoying person? Like another person who she shall not name, was he just...like...that? Oh goodness, no one could be that bad, but you never knew, there were plenty of people crazier then Eryk, more self absorbed then Micah, and certainly people who were more stuck up then even Morgan Cavan. And a lot worse...unfortunately.

"I still shouldn't have yelled, I'm, really...it's not polite, and I was letting my own frustrations get in the way and yeah." She nodded. Cerridwen looked to the ceiling, and then down to the floor, well this has been significantly awkward. What else could happen and make this worse...then it already was that is. Not that it was bad! By no means...oh my and now Cerridwen's thought's were babbling...just kept running through her head...

[casey]

"Well, I guess I can take it," murmured Casey, rubbing the back of his head and shifting. He tentatively reached out and took the picture, again studying it for a few seconds. She'd done a remarkable job, really. Shame she didn't seem to see it that way.

For that matter, it looked like there was more on her mind than a simple drawing. Casey again shifted his feet, attempting to think up the proper way of addressing the situation. He opened and closed his mouth, let her talk, then finally spoke.

"It's alright, I'm sorry too," he murmured again. "Uh, you seem, kinda upset. Is there something else bothering you? You don't have to talk about if you don't want to. It's just... you seem like you've got a lot on your mind or something."

And Casey did have some time on his hands. His training was more or less finished, after all. How often could you stab yourself anyway? She was definitely out of his league though, if only because she had to be years younger then him.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I just figured," he shrugged, then thrust his hands deeper into his pockets, nervously shifting his feet yet again.