Fail To Feel [Open]

[james thomas leroy]

It was his first day here and so far things had gone fairly well. James hadn't been suspected of doing anything wrong and he was well on his way to establishing himself as a perfectly normal person.

Being lunch time, James felt the need to meet a few new faces. It was lunch time, perfect for socializing. There were a few people roaming around. Most seemed to keep to themselves or stay in groups. He was quietly reading them, trying to get an idea of the who's who of Pinewood. It would be good to make himself aware of the dominant personalities in this place so he would know what he'd be up against.

He moved forward to the fountain and sat there. He watched the people, eating their lunch, talking, and just generally hanging out. He held sandwich but made no move to eat it. James wasn't even that hungry. He was more interesting in exploring the school and finding all of it's hidden, secret places. It had to have at least once of those.

He slowly unwrapped the sandwich before looking around again. No one was approaching him. He made sure to keep track of his body language, trying to show that he wasn't a threat. There was even the slightest hint of a smile, not enough to call it one but enough to subconsciously hint that he would be safe to be around.

The brunette pulled the sandwich up to his lips and bit into it. He was a very patient young man. He could wait. He had spoken to one person so far today and that would be enough of a start but a second would be even better.

[jace michael harris]

the boy, well he didn’t want to eat in the caf purely, because the other day when he was in there his food was spit in and the boy didn’t want to eat someone’s spit. he had managed to switch trays when the individual wasn’t looking, but to watch someone else eat their own spit was just beyond disgusting. the seventeen year old decided that he’d get a sandwich to pack out to enjoy the day out in the quad. he wasn’t the loudest person, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t handle just sitting out there and enjoying his food right? he didn’t want any trouble, but it seemed at a place like this that mister harris was just an easy target or so it seemed, because he heard some derogatory things that only made him feel a little tense and uncomfortable. he tried to walk past it all though and just find a place to go an eat before he felt himself being shoved pretty hard. it all happened so fucking fast he had no time to catch his balance or his sandwich.

both the item and the boy ended up on top of another being and if he was right there was bread in his face possibly from fucking up the other person’s lunch. he groaned and as quickly as he could got up off the other person and he tossed the piece of bread down off his face to the ground. a very nervous ”sorry” playing off his lips because he was in a school full of people that weren’t very well and he had every right to be nervous, because today just wasn’t his day.

[james thomas leroy]

James managed to get another bite of his sandwich while he watched the crowd quietly. He appeared to be perfectly harmless but that was his goal. He would pull people into him and once there were in his orbit, they were liable to get sucked into the back hole. He was a dangerous being. Getting close tended to end badly but not for James.. Never for James.

He heard the derogatory remarks being thrown around. He didn't care who it was directly at. He knew it wasn't him and that was all he cared about. Anything else didn't matter. His lips twitched just a little but didn't make it to an observable smile. He enjoyed watching chaos around him. The more the better and James would have his seat on a thrown above it all. That was the world he wanted to live in. One where he was above everyone and everything else could go to hell while he watched.

Before he could react, a guy was shoved right at him. He didn't see the boy who was being used as a weapon, just the one pushing him. James wasn't inhumanly fast. He couldn't avoid the collision as he fell into the fountain along with the stranger. Sandwiches went flying but his eyes were locked on his target. The guy that pushed.. He grabbed a rock in one quick movement and threw it hard at the guy's head. He didn't even bother getting out, getting his balance back. It was an automatic response.

He had picked up the rock, trying to grab hold of something to stop him falling but it had failed so with that rock, already being in his hand, it made sense to throw it the second he hit the water. It was so quick a reaction that it was hard to see that the rock had come from him. Falling in the water meant arms swinging about so throwing it didn't necessarily look like throwing it.. Which was very lucky.

It was an impulsive move but it was enough to subdue him just a little while the guy screamed, hands over his head and blood dripping down it. James' eyes were locked on him but there was no expression on his face. He knew he should put one on.. At least surprise or something but he wasn't thinking, he was enjoying the damage he had caused purely by instincts alone.

He sat up a little and pushed himself out of the water when he heard the apology. "It wasn't your fault," he said, looking over at the stranger before offering a hand to help him up once he was standing. He glanced over his shoulder to see the offender being dragged away by his friends, probably to go to the infirmary. James hoped he needed stitches for that but he would have to wait until later to find out.

[jace michael harris]

Jace, well he never really asked for trouble, but it always seemed to come his freaking way no matter how much he wanted to avoid it and how much he tried to make people just happy and like him. It really had just taken its toll on him that was why the young man was here, his mother sent him away because she found that it’d be best for him really to be away and hopefully grow as a person. He really did want to grow as a young man and shape up to be at least something. Wasn’t that what everyone aimed for? It was hard though when your father was constantly breathing down your back every night and picking your apart and it sent the seventeen year old into a frenzy. That much was apparent!

Now, it was starting to occur here as well when he was just trying to walk to find his lunch and he felt a pit in his stomach because once people started he knew that it just wasn’t going to stop. It almost made him want to run and coward away, but he just kept on for a short distance before he was flung into another person trying to enjoy their lunch. Great, he had up and literally landed in someone’s freaking lunch this go around! Just fucking perfect right! He moved as quickly as he could to get up and off the individual his breathing heavy with worry. He was just making enemy after enemy it seemed and he was just trying to stay at bay.

It all really did happen so fast he didn’t notice what happened next, but he gave a weak smile when he said it wasn’t his fault. That may be so...he saw that hand and nervously reached out for it half expecting the individual to push him back in the water. He swallowed kind of hard when he managed to get up seeing the boys carrying off the guy that pushed him or at least some guy. ”Thanks.” he said not knowing what had happened, but it was nice for him to help him up. He smoothed out his attire. ”I-I’ll get you another sandwich?” he stuttered a little unnerved, because technically speaking he had ruined the sandwich. ”What happened to him?” he asked the biting question and maybe he shouldn’t have but hey, what boy wouldn’t be curious if not a bit grateful even if he didn’t know to what extent the other guy was suddenly hurt.

[james thomas leroy]

James wasn't terribly huge. He was fine for his age but definitely not the tallest or strongest guy in his class. The guy that slammed into him was probably a little taller than he was but that didn't matter. James could handle some physical violence just fine. Strength made no difference to him. Other factors always made a difference.

James took in a deep breath as he moved to get up off the water. He was perfectly fine, barely a scratch on him but anyone else would at least have had a bruised ego to think of. Lucky for him, James had a very different view of the world and a very different perspective on things.

There was a hand in front of him and James looked at it for a second before taking it. It was help offered, why would he say no. He stood there for a moment, dripping wet and a little cold now with the breeze. How did one react to a situation like this? For James it was with anger but he had already done that. Seeing the guy bleeding had sufficiently soothed him and now all that was left was for him to figure out what to do.

How did normal people react to something like this? He had no idea so he just stood there looking up at the taller guy. James always had a very young and innocent look about him, something he would usually use to his advantage.

James turned back to the water, looking down at the sandwich soaking at the bottom of it. "I wasn't hungry anyway," he admitted. At least that was the truth. He glanced over at the bleeding boy being dragged away. "I don't know," he said. Clearly the guy got hurt some how. Did it really matter how it happened?

Right now James looked more like an innocent little kid than ever before. Just standing there shivering a little from the cold. "I should get inside," he said, he had to go find some dry clothes. Even soulless future serial killers could catch a cold.

[jace michael harris]

Jace, well, the shorter young man before him seemed to be unaffected by the situation really. It kind of made him feel a little bit better about the situation at hand, because it meant that he wasn’t going to get beat or something. He also in some respect saved him despite being laughter in the background before it went kind of mute. Again, it all went so fast that he really didn’t realize what had went down! The young man before him said that he wasn’t hungry anyways, but Jace, well he was still apprehensive. Sometime in the future he could end up holding a grudge against him for fucking up his lunch! He did worry a lot, but it was a part of his issue! He couldn’t help himself. ”Okay.” he said and began to chew on his lower lip. It should make him feel relieved, but still he was nervous about the whole situation. Didn’t he have every right to be with people pushing him around and such?

”Oh, well okay then...” something seemed odd though! Something had to have happened, but James looked innocent enough to not be joking about the situation. He was shivering and it made Jace feel bad! Would it be weird to try and make a friend seeing as he was being so nice in the situation. ”Yeah, yeah, um you really sure you weren’t hungry? I feel like it was crude to rude your lunch I kind of owe you.” he did owe him even if it wasn’t his fault. Probably more than he knew! That kid was being dragged off. Jace moved to step out of the fountain his hands going to his pockets awkwardly looking on feeling like this would ease over future uneasiness.

[james thomas leroy]

James looked at the guy. He seemed a little unsure of James' statement, like he didn't believe it. He seemed concerned about the situation but James had said it was fine, shouldn't that be the end of it? It usually was for most people but not everyone. Perhaps he had other concerned. Maybe he was worried more about the consequences than the actions themselves. That made a bit more sense.

The guy seemed eager to make up for it and who was James to say no? He could easily use this to his advantage some how. "Well.. Maybe," he said quietly, playing up the innocent kid routine so that this guy wouldn't feel threatened by his presence. James could intimidate people if he wanted to. Right now, he didn't.

"I just need new clothes first," he said. He was drenched from falling right into the fountain. James needed dry clothes before even thinking about lunch and by the looks of things, this guy might need dry clothes too. All the dorms were in the same area anyway, they could probably go get changed, talk some more, get lunch and James could easily use this to his advantage. He just needed more information about this guy but that would come with time.

[jace michael harris]

The seventeen year old, well he had every right to kind of be a skeptic, or maybe he just kind of assumed he did seeing as he was use to kind of the worst of it all. He expected the worst all the time, but hoped for the best. He didn’t know any other way to live really and it was sad, but he didn’t want to always sulk in the moment and he didn’t want to end up hurt and this was the best way he knew how. To be nice and kind of lay down and try and make things better. In a sense he was like a little bitch, but he only did it out of fear and in hopes it’d keep him in a bit of a safe place. He couldn’t say that he didn’t try if the boy denied it again, and hopefully that was enough to keep him from ending up like that young man that seemed to be dragged off. Suddenly, he was faltering and saying well maybe! Well, that worked out for the better, and it meant that he’d be on the guys good side or so he hoped. When you did good things, well good things were bound to happen. Did it already cancel it out though, because of the fact he had already helped Jace?

”Okay, cool.” he didn’t want to sound too eager and weird, but he was happy he was taking him up on the offer. Jace, well he was intimidated by anyone and everyone, but right now it seemed casually. ”Yeah, yeah, me too.” he said when the boy said he needed clothes, because he needed clothes as well and they could go and end up getting clothes and then going back to the caf for a bite, so it all worked out and checked out. ”I’m Jace, by the way.” he said starting to step in the direction of the dorms, because he kind of felt like it’d be initiative. Then they could be warm and safe.

[james thomas leroy]

The guy seemed happy enough about him accepting the offer. It wasn't obvious but there was a look of relief like it was a good thing that he had accepted it. Maybe it was that guilt thing. Maybe this would make the guy feel better for what happened. James never really understood that. Feelings were strange and foreign enough to him, the bad ones were worse. Why would you want to feel bad? But then that was assuming people had control over it.. They didn't. How horrible it must be to be a slave to these things you couldn't control.

"Well, I guess we should go do that," he told him, moving to get back inside and to the dorms. The sooner they could get it over with the better but James was still working an angle here. He wanted to see what he could get out of this situation and make the most out of it.

"James," he told him, giving him a small smile too just to seem normal. They were already walking to the dorms but James didn't need it to be awkward silence all the way so he spoke up. "Have you been here long?" he asked, just making conversation.