Nova Queal's Story

((Sure. And Anyone who has not joined, can join in at the party, imagining that Jackson somehow invited them.))
Jackson was about to follow Ro's instructions, but went to look at the clock only to see that it was pretty late. The told Daniel to be at his house around ---pm. Jackson turned to Ro and said, "Oh god, we have to get to my house. Dan is probably waiting there."

Jackson threw the ball at Ro, for him to put away, and went to go grab their things. "Come one, Ro. Move it."

------

Seiji glared at Max as he drove off. He was so pissed off. He couldn't understand the kid. So violent... It didn't bother Seiji so much if he did it to him... but bullying other kids who couldn't take the abuse was just wrong....




Jackson was wandering around the house, making sure upstairs was inaccessible because who knows what they'd do up there... Jackson didn't want people breaking stuff that wasn't his to break. He looked into the fridge to see the booze covering the shelves and the snacking layering the table. Jackson turned to Ro to tell him, "So you ready to get drunk?"

---

Seiji sat on his couch, contemplating the idea of going to the party... Max would probably be there... and he felt like he should go... to protect the other guys. But it wasn't his business. It had nothing to do with him.... but still...

Pillar stared at the green caterpillar with black ringed stripes as it slowly crawled across his faux wood desk. The world around him was nonexistent. Slowly the caterpillar inches its way over to his stationary fingers and crawled over each bump of surface, tickling Nova with the fine hairs that encased the caterpillar’s body. A droning voice pierced through his thick dazing calling out his real name. The two-legged creature actually knew his imprinted identification. Odd. Again the unfamiliar yet familiar creature voiced his real name. There was something steel-like in the distant noise as though it was supposed to cut through skin or scatter the dams over human orbs.

Tearing his eyes away from the tiny creature, Pillar looked up at a towering pole that had fire in its eyes from behind his hair. He blinked trying to focus on the pole, but his edges were faded and hazy. “Now that I have your attention, what is the answer to…” Pillar stopped paying attention the pole-like creature’s meaningless words. Instead he wondered how the pole would react to being carried off by a ravenous bird.

The pole snapped his long fingers in front of Pillar’s hair covered face. The creature was sizzled and crackled with umbrage towards Pillar’s unknowing insubordination. With a hiss, “Get out of my classroom if you aren’t going to participate,” the pole snarled out. It was the perfect opportunity for the pole to evoke fear into his students by sending out the quiet male.

“The pole would flail...no…he would be a crumbly leaf,” Pillar mumbled to himself. As the pole painted his face with marker, the pole’s snarl turned an ugly shade of irritation.

“Get out now!” the pole shouted. Pillar never knew poles could speak with such volume.

In a fluid motion, Pillar stood up from his seat, gently picking up the caterpillar while, simultaneously picking up his tattered messenger bag. He felt little pieces of glass seemingly piercing his body, following his every movement. With slightly hunched shoulders, he strolled out of the cage into a longer cage. Pillar tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling that settled itself from the annoying windows staring at him. He shrugged it off and jumped slightly, wiggling around to shake off the irritating feeling.

During his theatrics, Pillar crashed into the blandly white wall. A dull ache spread through his bad from where he landed, but luckily the fragile creature he held wasn’t harmed. His eyes widened a fraction as the little fact that the creature needed to get back to constructing its mysterious coffin.

Feet tapped against the tile of the empty hallway. Pillar burst out of the front doors; not after leaving a few adults a bit baffled to why a student was running through the halls as though furies were chasing after him. Slipping into a languid stroll he retraced his steps to where the caterpillar revealed itself. He knew that once the tiny creature awoke to its new life, it was feel sweet bliss from taking flight, to reach the ever fluxing clouds and feel completely weightless. If only he could build himself a cocoon to slip into a coma that dripped with liquid silk.

To fit his conscious being into such a tiny creature, to have a pair of wings encased by miniature scales, interconnected with veins. Instead he was cursed with a bulky body with too long of limbs. His body automatically started moving away from the fine haired creature, lost in thoughts of the vibrant butterflies that kiss the languid landscape and lonely social creatures.

Blinking, his silver polished windows tried to get a clear image of where he was. The pesky thoughts blinded him of constant shift. An infinity of blue flooded his vision with battle marred clouds weightlessly floating through the sky. They changed from horrendous skeletal wives-to-be to midget sized trolls stabbing a judgmental finger towards another innocent cloud. Breaking the connection from the lumps of water vapor to his eyes, he shuffled slightly, world worn shoes dragged across concrete.

Pillar lied on the cold stone. Over-grown blonde bangs splayed across his face, the chilled wind brushed them away from his orbs. Nothing obstructed his view of the ocean of atmospheric gas. The bluest of blue tugged his mind in disorienting paths.

Shadows licked over spindly fingers and across synthetic wood, carried away with the rapid movement of fickle clouds and occasional fowl. They moved over knuckles and satiny skin, morphing and changing as the winds pushed and tore at the condensed water vapor hovering high in the desiccated sea of blue and just beyond the panel of transparent looking-glass. Broken thoughts flitted through an unfocused mind as clouds drifted pass the gaze of earthy orbs and escaped the reach of earthbound birds. A sigh huffed past parted lips as the pencil eraser continued its tap-tap tapping against the shadow littered desk and the metal piercing continued clank-clank clanking away against ivory. The droning and humming din that went half unheard lightly nudged its way towards the forefront of his thoughts and the resonances of snickering finally engaged his attention.

Snake released another exhalation, his tongue never ceasing in its rhythmic beat against his teeth, and slowly slid his earth-toned pools away from the window. His gaze came to settle on the undernourished figure and shining cranium of Mr. Balgero. The balding educator, looking utterly peeved, hovered dangerously near to the insect-enthralled lad widely addressed as Pillar. Pillar; Nova Queal. Senior and avid attendee of their place of corporate decided ‘enlightenment’. He was an odd one that boy; always off by his lonesome, taking refuge away from the grassroots and seeking company solely from his multi-legged companions. He seemed to be suspended within a constant state of obliviousness or never ending daydream. His stormy orbs appeared to gloss over yet focus all at once, locking away and withholding all the valuable thoughts Rae desired.

Of all his peers, Nova’s mind was one of the very few Snake has been incapable of penetrating. A slight downward tug at the corner of his mouth and barely quickened pencil-tapping pace were the only indications of the striking blend of irritation and curiosity stroking Rae’s veins. He slid the silver ball along the ridges of his teeth as he avidly observed the thin blonde. Oh how he wished to understand the male’s cognitive reasoning, to comprehend the bits and pieces of the jigsaw he would spit out on occasion; to piece it all together and understand.

A dark brow quirked at the seemingly nonsensical response that floated from the mostly distracted boy and an amused snort barely stifled at the contorted expression adorning the less than amused authority. The irritated snarl the broke past the balding male’s lips caused his pencil tapping to cease in favor of rolling it around in his tight grip. Forest tinted orbs followed the path the willowy teen trekked towards his exile and he rolled his metal stud between his teeth in thought.

After a bout of contemplation and pencil twirling, Snake rose from his solitary seat in the back and collected his possessions, slipping them silently in his bag. Slinging the grey back-pack over one shoulder, Rae made his way towards the door.

“And where are you going, Nyoka?” The irritated voice paused him in his retreat and he threw a reply haphazardly over his shoulder, “Restroom.” The door was already falling close before the educator could further protest or note the backpack hanging from his strong frame.

The hall was relatively quiet aside from the rhythmic tapping of his grey Chucks and for that, he was grateful. Sharp ears listened tentatively and lead his body in the direction of almost identical taps to his own. He was determined to unlock the gate the strange boy in his science class put up around himself and set free the flood of thoughts and puzzle pieces he would joyously assemble and study.

Readjusting the backpack strap over his shoulder, Snake quickly neared the staircase that lead to the building’s roof. He paused, a frown lightly tugging at the corner of his mouth. What could the kid be doing up there? Huffing lightly, Snake quickly ascended the stone stairway. Pausing for but a hairs breadth of time, Snake tentatively opened the narrow door and stepped around the threshold and into the cool breeze.

Dark tresses were gently tussled from their slicked back resting place by the light breeze and several came to hang in slight disarray about his face. Snake treaded over cool stone and neared the prone figure blissfully sprawled across the flooring. Blonde strands whipped about pale features in the controlled winds and strikingly wide orbs stared, faintly fogged, up at the forever moving clouds.

Taking a single step more, a pack of cigarettes was removed from the virtually empty backpack and a single rollup unsheathed. The stick was skillfully lit and placed between a set of rose hued lips before a long and deep breath was taken. The lungful of nicotine and smoke rushed past parted lips and spiraled from flared nostrils and was quickly picked up by the calm breeze. The grey swirling cloud road the breeze over the edge of the roof, ascending to greet its bleached kin before dispersing into the air. Snake watched as it twisted and twirled and sighed contently before allowing his inquisitive gaze to drop to the immobile male.

Unfocused orbs ignored the forever blue in favor of playing the freshly planted memory. Images of an angry pole fitted through his thoughts and the silent bystanders avidly observing the occurrence pricked into his comfortable state. His runaway thoughts tried to niggle the simple happening out of boredom and automatic reflection. Briefly, Nova speculated the reasons the pole disliked his unthreatening presence, but those bird-like thoughts prevailed to more important matters such as the panic the fluxing clouds would create if they took tangible form.

Immersed in attention seeking creatures, Pillar’s mind almost didn’t register the scrapping of the door opening and closing. A creature had breached his sanctuary and he didn’t even have a means of protecting it. He laid still for a few moments, not that his thoughts were disrupted from their flow, they scattered in the air buzzing about in a disorienting manner. Mentally, he used a butterfly net to collect all of the frantic creatures and tried to create some semblance of order. Physically, his limbs felt too lethargic to bother with such a taxing task as to meet the intruder.

With all the energy his body didn’t know it had, Nova stood up. It was a second crawling process of awkward, disjointed movement lead to him finally on two worn-shoe clad feet. A kind breeze brushed through his blonde hair, tousling it even more so than before. The world around him seemed to shift to quickly in front of his unfocused windows.

Once the reality he was watching had settled down, Pillar turned his head upwards at the sky once more. Oddly enough, more clouds seemed to have gathered. They must have been celebrating for those who were destroyed in battle. The paper white creatures danced at a pace either no orb could capture or snails could keep up with.

Focusing was a task that Pillar always found absurdly challenging. But the tall male standing alone caught a hold of his attention. Pillar peered at the intruder behind the curtain of blonde hair, curiosity taking a hold of his thoughts. Who was the creature with eyes that clashed metal with dirt? Why did the intruder enter this land? Would the male let Nova partake in the creation of smoke?

Questions and questions flung themselves onto his thoughts, giving them an unnecessary weight. This person didn’t register as anyone he’s encountered before. Though, Pillar knew his memories had more tears and holes than a superficial female’s jeans have. Mentally, his image shrugged to himself in remorse for not paying attention. Too bad he could never conjure up the emotion of anger.

During this flood of heavy thoughts, Pillar meandered in the direction of the creature inhaling and exhaling poisonous haze. “Breaching the borders should have altered the swarm,” Pillar sighed, his voice barely above a noticeable whisper.

Abruptly, a gust of wind billowed precariously around the two males as though it was trying to wipe away Nova’s words. With a slight tinge of indigence, he pulled his coat that was a few shades shy of becoming the envy of all monarchs.

An inquisitive brow quirked at the bumbling display unfolding before him. Was the kid alright…? Lightly grasping the cigarette perched between lips, Snake held it at a slight distance, allowing the smoke to float from its damp encasement and billow in the air. The lanky boy stumbled, nearly falling, before righting himself and ambling over, his eyes seemingly focused on the smoke billowing from his mouth.

“Breaching the borders should have altered the swarm,” Snake blinked. What on Earth was the kid going on about? Swarm…?He chanced a swift glance around before allowing his perceptive gaze to once again fall on the gauche senior. He seemed to wobble a bit before coming to a halt a few feet away, stormy orbs still focused on the trails of smoke. Reflective orbs flicked to the fag balancing between spindly digits and then back to the slight teen. Sticking the cancerous pleasure back between his lips, Rae held out the arm holding the pack, jostling it faintly. “Want one?” His rumbling baritone gruffed, slightly muffled as he spoke around the cigarette, arm still outstretched.

Tearing apart the connection between windows and haze, Nova glanced at the intruder as he held up a peace offer. There was a fine thread of a chance that the chemical laden stick was laced with instantly deadly poison, but the blonde wasn't callous enough to linger on that trail. Instead he took up on the intruder's offer, pulling the lung destroyer from its battle station. "Could I borrow your means of smoke creation?" Pillar inquired in a relaxed tone.

Snake blinked again before snorting lightly at the oddly posed response. He took a stride closer, pulling out the metallic lighter. A eyed the shorter teen as he seemed to take a hesitant step backwards. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite.” He flashed a wide grin, holding the smoking stick between his teeth to ensure its safety from the ground. He held out the lighter, nodding towards it as cue for the blonde to take the lighter.

Pillar eyed the sleek metallic creature before relinquishing it from its owner's possession for a moment. In a fluid motion, he brought up the cigarette to his thin lips and lit the destroyer without fumbling like he did with most tasks at hand. He breathed in a lung full of chemical smoke then let the hazy creature slip away into the air as the wind jostled it. Nova handed over the metallic object as if it hadn't helped with the creation.

Slender digits wrapped around the cool metal and slid into a denim pocket. Exotic orbs focused on the uncharacteristically fluid movements of the bumbling caterpillar, dark brow fractionally arched. He inhaled the poisonous smog with ease, leaving hint of a seasoned smoker. Snake tagged this knowledge in his mental logbook and took an intake from his own dwindling cigarette. He followed the lazy movements of smoke as it wound together, forming a single cloud. They stood in silence for what felt a great deal of time, simply enjoying the taste and warmth of the smoke and chilled autumn air before Rae abruptly broke it, “Do you come out here often?” He eyed the thin senior from his peripheral while sticking his numbed hands in denim pockets and rocking slightly on his heels.

Letting himself be fully submerged by the sensations autumn brought and the patterns the smoke sifted through, Pillar's mind almost didn't catch the intruder's disruption on the comfortable silence. "The bleached creatures do often call for me," he stated in thoughtful manner. Rooftops were pleasant destinations for loosing oneself in the vast sky that was barely touched by human taint. The burning stick had reached the end of its life so he let the dead creature slip from his fingers and crushed the last remnants.

Nova tore his gaze from nothing and directed it towards the taller creature veiled by wheat colored hair. A vastly important question that shrouded the intruder had begun to bother him. "What do you known yourself as?" his voice held a note of inquisitive curiosity.

Snake blinked and then snorted softly, he was becoming accustomed to such strange responses. Following suit in his rooftop companion's actions, Rae allowed the spent bud fall free of his light grasp and be ground out by worn shoes. "Hm? Rea Nyoka, but people around seem to prefer 'Snake'." He turned his head fractionally to gauge the boy's reaction. "And you're Nova Queal, yeah? Or would you prefer Pillar."

Liquid metal orbs peered at the intruder, Snake. He was slightly startled by the fact that two more creatures new the name he was branded with. Normally people simply assumed his real name was lost with all of his other 'normal' traits due to some sort of tragic event; possibly buried under four tons of dirt or in more ironic cases, it was taken off on a butterfly's wings. "My preference would be Caterpillar, but none of the social, lonely creatures listen," Pillar mused in an absentminded fashion.

“Caterpillar?” He nodded absently, “There a reason?” It appeared his chance to finally get a peek at his mind, to come nearer to understanding, had just flashed itself before him. He eyed the thinner male, reading his body language, watching the way he moved as he seemed to ponder a response.

"Reasons. Meanings. Attachments. The social lonely creature wants to know, though others’ thoughts never get thrown into that path...Why wouldn't people want to be known as a lowly creature? Consuming, consuming, consuming then dying...." Nova trailed off as he fixed his gaze on the cold concrete. He didn't want to talk about the reasons anymore. They were to closely embedded into his roots that it felt like he was ripping something apart. He rubbed his fingers together, trying to ward the uncomfortable sensation. His intense staring contest with the ground ended too soon as he quickly glanced at the snake; hopefully the creature didn't notice his mumbling like the others. "A blonde fire spoke to me. He blurred out some explanation of a gathering with intoxication. What do you think of that prospect?" Pillar mentioned in a nonchalant manner.

A pause followed another as Rae turned to fully face the rambling teen. His head cocked marginally to the right, the only indication of his attempt to process the words flying from thin lips. He blinked, his dark lashes tangling amongst themselves. What… A somber, depressing thing to say. Were all this boy’s thoughts so…troubling? He quietly observed as the typically inconspicuous caterpillar fidgeted and avoided eye contact. The flaxen strands that shaded the uncomfortable male’s vision whipped about as a particularly numbing wind lashed out, resulting in Rae pulling his light coat closer to his strong-build. He tucked his bare fingers between his arms and sides, shielding them from the bitter weather. Snake’s head cocked further to the side, a few strands of midnight rebelling and hanging in his contemplative gaze, and watched as the smaller teen turned his puzzling gaze to him. A blonde…fire? “You mean a party? With alcohol?” He waited for an affirmative nod before continuing, “I think that’s swell. If you’re into watching gyrating drunkards grinding on one another, that is.” His typically stoic tone was laced with sarcasm as he straightened himself, running a slender hand through disheveled locks before returning it to his jacket pocket. “Why do you ask?” As he waited for an answer, he allowed his mind to sift through the young man’s riddled response. Blonde fire… Party and booze… Could he be talking about that eccentric jackass’ party everyone seemed so buzzed about?

He jerked his head up in utter confusion. Swell? Grinding? Pillar has never stumbled himself into such an unfathomable concept. Words that seemed to have been running him over were now nowhere to be seen. Instead of bothering to come up with some form of response, he noticed the tips of his fingers felt a tingling sensation of become numb. The temperature of the roof seemed to keep slipping lower and lower on a snowy mountain. "Hypothermia isn't welcome," Pillar mumbled before heading into the building. Obnoxious metal scraped against concrete as he opened the door.

His gaze trailed the retreating male for a moment before looking back up at the darkening sky. The day was beginning to turn its reign over to the night, and as expected from the slowly creeping winter, the temperature was rapidly depleting. The sound of the door opening had Snake moving away from the cold and to the beckoning warmth of indoors.

He followed in behind Pillar, “So, Caterpillar,” he paused, attempting to tame the black tendril tickling the bridge of his nose, “This party you mentioned. Would it be Main’s?”

The corner of his lips twitched slightly as the former intruder used his preferred name, but didn't pause in his decent to the ground level floor. However, the snake mentioned something about a main. Where in their slightly strained yet relaxed conversation did main come from? Pillar shook his head slightly, causing undecided golden strands to fly and quickly settle into a new disarray. Engulfed in speculations as to what the raven haired creature meant, he tripped over his own feet. In a brief moment of panicked reflex, he caught the iron railing before tumbling down like a broken toy. The heart Nova often forgot about pounded against his chest, thoroughly angered at the near death experience.

Snake awaited a response, patiently walking a short distance behind his newly acquired acquaintance until he saw the kid began to stumble on the dangerously steep stairway. Sharp reflexes sent Snake lunging forward and his limber hands found themselves caught in the sleeve of the young man’s jacket. Cautiously releasing him from his grasp, Rae crept around the seemingly shocked caterpillar until he was standing directly before him, just a couple steps below. Earthly orbs met stormy grey before he swiftly turned around. “You alright?” There was the faintest hint of concern laced within his otherwise stoic baritone as he began a paced journey down the steps.

Once feet were firmly planted on the stair, Pillar nodded slightly; although the former intruder already started descending the stairs once again. The positions had changed so now he was trailing behind the ebony haired male. Stuffing hands into the deep coat pockets, he pondered over the odd reaction the snake had given him when he was an inch away from falling into the abyss of this stairwell. No answers or likely explanations threw themselves at his disorganized thoughts so he just labeled the creature a mystery. When they finally arrived at the bottom, Nova abruptly asked, "Why have you crashed into my associations?"

Snake moderately slowed his descent, allowing the slim boy to catch up as he contemplated a response. He shrugged, “I came up for a smoke and you asked to bum one from me.” He of course left out the part where he intentionally stalked the lad up to the roof; no need to scare his prey before the strike could even be made.

A relaxed silence fell over the two males as they began walking through the ghost-town of a hallway. Pillar let himself be consumed by pesky thoughts of impossible occurrences such as pens banning together to fight against the mighty pencils who have long enslaved their brethren the mechanical pencil. He could picture the pencils sharpening their lead with eraser shields while the pens nervously nibble on their caps as the dawn for battle approaches. Unfortunately, a voice of a particularly querulous male tore apart the beginnings of the glorious battle the writing utensils were about to commence upon. “After I count to ten, I better not see you. Or else bleach is going down your throats,” the janitor shouted at the snake and caterpillar.

Snake's head quickly whipped around, observant orbs hastily scanning the source of the abrupt noise. When golden laced pools met the disgruntled figure of one of the school's custodians, Rae visibly relaxed. The corner of his mouth quirked upwards fractionally before he directed his attention back to wide storms. "C'mon," he jerked his head towards the exit, "best we get outta his way." The moment they crossed the threshold, an early winter's gust rushed to greet them. Snake pulled his jacket closer, shoving his digits deep within the pockets.

Pillar rapidly buttoned up his vibrantly red coat as winter shoved all of its fearsome power at him. He threw a glance towards the caterpillar he had left in the bushes. Worry tugged on the tip of his iceberg consciousness, Nova didn’t know of those tiny creatures could survive frigid air. Instead of following the path down to the main street, he swerved towards the brushes. At a close distance, his liquid silver orbs tried to focus in the search for the fragile creature.

Rae paused his slow gait down the cracked sidewalk and glanced over his shoulder only to spy the man he had assumed to be behind him posed over a small bush. A dark brow arched as he watched the lad so intently focused on the rustling plant. With the stealth of a predator, Snake slinked up behind the distracted male, bending down over him, bringing his head next to blonde wisps. Green searched rustling leaves in search of what was sought by silver. “Loose something?”

Slightly startled by the close proximity of the snake’s voice, Pillar paused his search for the creature. “The fragile creature would turn into ice over the dark hours,” he gnawed on his bottom lip as the worry sank its claws deeper into his mind. Pushing back unwanted foliage, he took a step forward. Stormy eyes rapidly scanning back and forth for a sign of the endangered creature.

A shadowy brow quirked further as Rae attempted to decipher the cryptic message the caterpillar delivered. “Fragile creature?” He directed his gaze the young man, watching his worried expression from the corner of his eye.

Pillar nodded slightly, not actually interpreting the words. Abruptly a glimpse of green, differing from the surrounding leaves by a few shades caught his attention. He stooped to the green’s level and scooped up the many-limbed critter. Hints of a triumphant smile tinted his lips as he held the tiny creature close to his face, checking over for any injuries.

His own lips seemed to mirror the younger man’s smile as he observed. Had it been this tiny creature that caused the subdued panic? Righting his stance, Snake shook his head lightly. What an odd boy. “What do you plan to do with it?”

Silver eyes flicked open and closed as he tried to figure out what he was going to do about the poor creature. He hadn’t thought out his plan that far ahead into the future. His expression brightened slightly while he went to open his lightly hanging messenger bag. Digging through the abyss of his bag, he fished out a small, unfolded cardboard box. Nova handed the caterpillar to the former intruder so he could assemble the box. After the safe environment was created, he tore off a few leaves from the brush. He mentally apologized to the plant, but hopefully those leaves would go unnoticed.

A slightly puzzled expression adorned his sharp features as the soft creature was placed within his grasp. He directed his confused gaze from the green insect to the boy rustling through his bag. A brow was further arched as a small cardboard box was produced. Blinking, Rae gently placed the caterpillar within its new home and quickly returned his hands to warm pockets.

Closing the box lightly, Pillar started trekking across the institution. The location’s directions slowly revealed themselves to him as his shoe-clad feet tapped rhythmically on the debris littered sidewalk.

Snake followed after the young male, his long strides quickly returning him to his spot beside the caterpillar. They walked in a comfortable silence, each left to their own thoughts as the chilling wind filled the silence.

---

Pillar leisurely walked through the ornate threshold. Dark lighting and heavy aroma of alcohol washed over him; a relaxed sigh passed through his lips as a prosaic scene graced his eyes. He passed by small groups of intoxicated humans, but turned in the direction of the taller male who hadn’t followed him inside.

Hazel orbs blinked as they stared at the large door he was now confronted with. Whose house was this? He glanced down at his traveling companion a slight frown marring his otherwise smooth features. He blinked in slight surprise as the shorter male sauntered into the house without the slightest of hesitation or faintest of knocks. He peered around the doorframe, eyes following after the young male before cautiously stepping in when his gaze met silver.

When the raven-haired male arrived next to the tranquil being, he started maneuvering around the masses of humans. They drunkenly serenaded one another with their motions caused by the beat of music. Others laughed an octave too loudly or talked in slurred voices that made Pillar cringe inwardly. Once across the main area, the two males ended up in an almost deserted kitchen. Nova quickly noticed where the alcohol was congregated and picked out two bottles of cheap beer. Walking back to the noticeably tense snake, he handed him a beer.

An observant gaze darted around the room in rapid flicks, taking in the state of utter disarray and chaos. His nerves calmed fractionally as the constant din from the front room was muffled in the otherwise quiet kitchen. He directed a startled gaze to the blonde as the cool bottle of beer brushed the back of his hand. He nodded in light gratitude before accepting it and taking a fairly tentative sip.

“You don’t place yourself in intoxicated backgrounds often?” Pillar asked, curiosity tinted his otherwise calm voice. He took a drink from the brown glass bottle while leaning against one of the expensive counters.

“Not particularly…” His deep baritone reverberated in the lush quarters as he took another drink. “Is this your home?”

He shook his pale mop of hair. Pillar lived in a house with six others; he would never let these types of people in a four mile radius of his house.

“Then… would this be the ‘blonde fire’s’ house?” He voiced, recalling their conversation on the roof as he leisurely moved around the kitchen.

Pillar nodded in confirmation. Taking a sip from the lightly alcoholic drink, he mused, “Only court jesters house such festivities.”

Snake chuckled around the rim of his bottle, nodding. Now the only question was the location of said jester. More than likely, from his observation, he’d be swamped by members of the opposite sex. He continued his slow gait about the kitchen, readjusting the miscellaneous items within the kitchen along with the occasional spilt glass. He recumbent against a chair across from Pillar, sipping from the perspiring beverage and met the young man’s gaze. “Do you frequent parties?”

“They have means of intoxicating the mind. Although normally I avoid the creatures by moving to higher ground,” Pillar replied, occasionally taking a drink from the cool bottle.

Snake peeled himself from the chair and once again meandered around the kitchen before taking a step out of the quieter room. He glanced back at the boy in the kitchen before continuing on at his usual, slow gait.

Nova arched an eyebrow in the retreating figure’s direction, before returning to a standing position and trailing after the snake.

---

The hours whittled away, spent in relative silence and the occasional burst of small talk. Taking a sip from what would be his third beer, Snake glanced over at the thin male. “Before you mentioned higher ground. Care to elaborate?”

Glancing over in the long-lashed male, “Rooftops are often deserted by the social lonely creatures and the rosy fingertips of dawn are best seen on them,” Pillar murmured before taking a drink from the alcoholic drink. He held the box containing the hopefully healthy caterpillar.

Snake smiled faintly at the caterpillar’s unusual speak and nodded; he could understand the need of solitude completely. He casually noted the subtle literature reference and his smile broadened fractionally. They continued their stroll through Main’s house in companionable hush, barely noting the gradual drop in noise. They traveled through the abandoned chaos back towards the main room.

Snake paused at the unusual sight that greeted them: Main slumped in the couch, eyes red rimmed and glossy, Evanson appearing to council the attention seeker’s woes.

Nova noticed his companion had paused in their meandering throughout the house. Shifting his gaze in the direction the snake was staring at graced him with a seemingly mundane sight. The overly intoxicated often sought after the companion of others or are overwhelms with tsunamis of artificial emotions, although the male next to him didn’t seem accustom to such displays.

Daniel's hand reeled back as if Jackson's skin had burnt him. Scathing words that brought upon a flight response in him, throwing him even further out of his comfort zone. He pushed his glasses up with his hand, rubbing his forehead and the bones around his eyes, applying more pressure then usual. This wasn't going so well, at the very least he needed some fresh air to clear his head, get away from intoxicated emotions and the toil they caused him. "Too bad you can't just have a cold shower." Daniel sighed and stood up, straightening out his shirt as he did so. Inducing the blonde with shock was the last thing they needed, a split open cranium being a close second. Not only would it force him to call an ambulance, but it would bring the police around, and then they would be in some real trouble.

What was he supposed to do in this situation? It would be frowned upon to just leave him here, but the exasperated boy was currently in a situation that was wearing him thin - fleeing seemed like to be in his best imminent interest. Though such an action would have drawbacks, and he wasn't heartless, so he couldn't just leave the two alone in their drunken wake. It didn't help that things could take a turn for the worst, neither of them seemed to have alcohol poisoning, but he wasn't an expert on that subject either. Plus it didn't mean the boys were beyond sleeping on their stomach and inevitably choking on their own vomit. Daniel visibly cringed, even the thought of that fate was bad enough.

"Pinch yourself until it goes away?" He suggested, though he wasn't sure if the trick would work well on a drunk person, being that his nervous system would be working much slower. Perhaps it would only take longer. Daniel thought that holding one's breath or biting the tongue was better by a large margin, but those didn't seem like good options either. "And get dressed too." Anything to get the boy to stop thinking about sex; that could possibly be enough, with enough time.

He left his post beside Jackson and reached over to the top of a lamp shade, yanking off a shirt and throwing it at Jackson. Next he spotted a pair of pants bundled behind the television, and threw that at him as well. In the process he also found his missing sock, which was quickly tugged back onto his foot, where it belonged. It was going pretty well until he saw that the three of them weren't the only ones at Main's house, despite the impression they were under earlier. He had recognized them easily, Nova (Didn't people call him something else? Inchworm? Something like that.) Queal and Rae Nyoka, who was known as 'Snake' to some degree.

The skin on he face heated up, turning red for what may be the hundredth time this night. Daniel wasn't sure if he felt more shame for himself, or was more effected by the second hand embarrassment that Jackson had brought upon him. Willing away the thoughts of 'Kill the witnesses' he placed his face in his hands and hit his head against the top of the t.v. "I'm never drinking again, a life of sobriety awaits me. Call the pope, sign me up for the next choir recruitment, I'm going to be purer than the virgin Mary herself." He groaned and slid his hands off and back to his sides. This wasn't even that bad, not compared to larger parties. Or even worse - college and university parties, where young adults pranced around high on both their new found freedom and hits of ecstasy.

After his brief wallowing Daniel grabbed the remote, quickly switching the station to young children's programming. If this didn't get rid of Jackson's erection than he didn't know what would. The bright colors and collection of young children and a nanny-like figure couldn't be appealing in the slightest. He turned the volume down a few notches, making sure it wasn't too loud. The only thing that could outmatch this was 'Teletubbies', or perhaps 'Dinotopia'. Even the mere thought of 'Zippo' irritated him. Seriously, fuck Zippo, that smart-ass, ping-pong bastard. His hate for the fictional neurotic Troodon was unlike anything else he had felt in the world, and yet...

Daniel bit his cheek and slide his shoes onto his feet. Right, enough dicking around already - no pun intended. He turned around to face the group, which now seemed to include Rae and Nova, though he didn't really care what they did. He was more interested in Jackson and Ro at the moment, even thought they weren't exactly in a state of being a huge danger to themselves. "I'll be right back. Be good, don't be naughty." He paled a bit. Great, now he sounded like a Korean man saying goodbye to his girlfriend, rather than a pent-up friend. Daniel exhaled largely, as if breathing would allow him to relax, and he soon exited out of Main's place of residence, regardless of his better judgement and awareness of his selfish actions.

It was less of the pizza, which would certainly help the two get sober, but more of the walk there that Daniel was interested in. He quite enjoyed the night in general, a sense of danger from being out in the city after dark combined with the lack of light and people was oddly soothing to him, in a way that helped organize his thoughts and stay on his toes. The fresh air, or as fresh as it could be in New York City, was a help as well. He took the last step off the stairs that led up the porch of the home and turned in the direction of the fast-food restaurant. He smelled like alcohol, cigarettes and pot, but couldn't really find himself minding much. Daniel stuffed his pockets into his jacket and started walking, only a bit disappointed that he couldn't take his sweet time.

Was the storm over? or was this the calm before the storm? His head really wasn't fitted on as well as it usually is, and with his games, it was essential to have his head on tight and ready to be act on impulse, to have quick reflexes. Stumbling and falling was no excuse as you'd just jump back up again, always getting back up, standing tall, but right now, it seemed he wasn't the same. For one, he had gone over his limit. Yes he had enjoyed himself, had a few drinks, danced with a few girls that he never expected to, asked girls out who just happened to be already taken, everything going wrong, and then to end that, his body and mind frozen from the kiss Jackson had given him.

Ro was supposed to act on impulse....shouldn't he of pushed him away? Shouldn't he of saved Daniel and stopped Jackson. Why couldn't he move? Why couldn't he push Jackson away? and despite drinking the water Ro had given him, his mind still buzzed, and didn't know what he was feeling, and though Jackson was always active, it seemed Daniel stopping him had made him upset, and now telling them not to go, "I-I love you guys so much...and I don't understand why I love you this way....it feels all weird...and I just...I really wanted to have sex with a guy...and I thought it would be okay with you". Well he wasn't sure about the sex part, but he too felt weird and didn't understand. The water he had mightswell of been put over his head with the good it was doing inside. Least Daniel had his head on.

With Daniel going out soon, Ro stood by as Daniel comforted Jackson, which was the better choice since he had a clearer head, as he told him it was fine if he was gay or bisexual and that he could experiment, but that it was better if he had a clearer head, which was true. Afterall, many people acted in ways they didn't truly wish to when they were drunk, and then Daniel suggested that they could all sleep together, but now Jackson had to settle, as Daniel tried to do this with giving him his clothes, putting on children's programmes before he left, leaving inexperienced him with his head out of joint to carry on, as Jackson turned to him, "It hurts Ro...Ro...Ro...I dunno what to do...It's so hard when your drunk!!!...Rooooo~Roooo~auh...Help me Ro~".

What to do? What to do? What could he do? One part of him wanted to rush over to him and hold him, while the other was like stay back and stay safe while you are. The thought on his mind to help him was to satisfy him, which was essentially doing what he wants, but with him being drunk, he didn't exactly want that, or did he? Maybe it'll all clear up in the morning, even if they'd probably all have a hangover, so he wasn't looking forward to that. He didn't know what was wrong with him, since he wanted to be in Jackson's arms and to relive that moment again, but as he was slowly recovering, something inside was telling him to wait. Guess they'd all find out in the morning how each of them feel, cos right now, the mind was messed up, as he approached Jackson with a fresh cup of water. Last time he was close to him, he had told him that his instincts told him to kiss him, and that he made him horny, so surely the best solution was for him to leave then? but he couldn't leave him in pain either, as he asked, "Your doing it", continuing on from what Daniel told him to do, before asking, "Just tell me what I can do to help. I'm sorry, I'm not thinking straight at all". Best tell him, afterall Daniel was the one with brains, all he could do was throw and kick around balls, which wasn't the best topic to bring up about now.

Since he approached him from behind, he moved to the side a little so Jackson could see him as he took a little sip of the fresh water, so if Jackson didn't take for him, then maybe he'd take because he drank from it, as one hand felt his forehead as if he was a doctor before moving his hand to his chin, as he spoke softly and calmly, both to help him and hopefully help Jackson as well. Daniel was right, maybe best when they were awake, knowing what they were doing, as the hand on his forehead moved to his chin, before moving the cup towards his lips, "It probably won't help much, but at least it'll cool you down. I won't leave you", even as he told himself that he had no clue. Afterall, all this was a first for him, and look at it. He wanted to help him. Afterall, even after knowing him for a little while, and couldn't imagine school-life without him. He looked up briefly to find a clock but instead saw two others, but right now Jackson was his concern, and he didn't care what happened to him, as he thought about the movie and pizza they could all watch with them all at peace as Daniel had said. He didn't mean to be rude, but it was like Doctors, when they were busy, they were busy, and couldn't speak to everyone that came in, as much as they want to.