Mecca Mana » Places

         

Sunan Charoenkul

Dissolve into nothingness. There was a universe somewhere, wedged between their own and another, where Valdim was such. In another world they may be but ideas, thoughts and projections that were given no real, solid form. In another universe Valdim was dissolved into nothingness, in others he was words, thoughts, spiraling spirographs that twisted and turned in their invisible color that would truly melt into nothing as time continued to make its toll. With discovery added these ideas were given life; ideas solidifying to form hard endoskeleton, black ink weaving to create muscles and veins, arteries and nerves, breathing predilection to mold organs, lungs, a heart. If what gave someone the will to live was taken away they might very well unravel, become just an idea once again; crossed out words on notebook paper that would haunt the mind of the person who so cruelly destroyed fantasy in harsh, graphite strokes that ripped, teared, and permanently blacked out what once was.

Such a fate was incongruous and dreary, mercilessly so, and to prevent such a wanweird became a possible goal that floated within his mind. Valdim drifted between what was reality and imaginary, and he feared if he was left to his own devices he truly would become the empty space that filled the universe, where there was no gravity or air. Survival was essential, Sunan consistently fought against what was expected of him so he could exist on his own terms, and if he could spread this oxygen to someone who's thoughts were ultraviolet, so brilliant that they could not be voiced with eloquence, than he would extend his hand again and again. Perhaps they would face against the most malevolent monsters who thirsted for nothing but destruction, hungered for the pain of other living creatures. They may find themselves in peril, holding onto the last threads of hope in a vain attempt to prevent themselves from falling, and when they fell they could find out that the abyss wasn't so frightening as first presumed. They could dip their feet into the rivers of Hell, mingle with the dead and the nonexistent alike, but first they must step through the looking glass.

A soft song was born out of such life, and he felt his heartbeat, heard his blood circulating within himself. The words were unfamiliar to him, although when he processed these lyrics of isolation and sour, citrus fruit, he found that the song and Valdim were very similar. Sunan's eyebrows arched, they moved with his surprise, although consecutively the other male surprising him had become somewhat customary in the short time they have spent together. He silently wondered what the other would do next, and the song ceased as his body language switched to one of perturbation. It was likely that there were a million of other things Valdim may do in the future that would have him react silently, not in scrutiny but in quiet, observing fascination. Could you name anyone else that acted in such a way? The other boy was so unreal that he no longer felt as if their names held much meaning, as if their authors could pluck away such titles and call them 'The Sun' and 'The Moon' instead. Sunan's lips quirked upwards, the smile being so subtle that he could hardly feel the muscles in his face tighten. It was not in laughter but in satisfaction; He, the self-proclaimed Doctor of this tale had picked a very extraordinary companion, conceivably the best that has ever been found.

Stuttering and a scarf were the next centers of surprise, the latter making him blink in bewilderment as the material was wrapped around him, being soft and smelling unfamiliar. The scarf was soft against his skin, brushing against his neck with gentle friction, and for a moment the organ that brought oxygen to his brain stopped functioning if in the most curious of ways, fluttering like the winds of a dragonfly. His freehand reached up to his face, brushing away the hair that was a curtain against the world to see Valdim better, clearer, and they focused on their hands resting against each other, similar keys to unlock the greatest mysteries by means of childish wanderlust. Sunan let his hair fall back in place, the threads blending in with each other to create the mass that often partially blinded him, uncut through a means of juvenile rebellion. His fingers bent around the pale hand, shades lighter than his own, they were two different shades of moonstone. His visage was changed into one of excitement, a grin that showed off teeth for a flash and his grip grew tighter, and a pull of his arm would force the often stone faced boy to feel the pull of the unknown, their l'appel du vide.

It was not words that broke the tension but laughter that vibrated through his vocal cords. He did not laugh at either them or the deteriorating world and its self-centered tenants. He laughed from mirth, the emotions making his chest shake pleasantly, and the boy began stepping forward, hand-and-hand with Valdim. "Of course, of course." He spoke in sing song, adding a bounce to his steps although the harsh ground became painful against his rough feet. What was he? What were they? Were they faeries or warriors or banished princes that were in search of a better kingdom, a kingdom made out of crystal that floated on top of sanguine clouds that would take them to lands of danger that they would become so infatuated with. "Yes, I suppose you'll do." Sunan teased, pausing to wink at the other while he was affected by this rush of anticipation, wondering what would be at the end of the olive branch. With another pull he led the taller through the trees that weaved arches, their leaves becoming the canopy that would protect them from pollution and loss of innocence. He pointed out toadstools and named them, mentioning which ones would make a person sick and was inattentive to their clammy hands, still together as a single entity. There were birds singing, louder than Valdim had and he remarked how people spent thousands of dollars each year to travel the world and see these animals that had so much freedom, and he stated how one day he would do it for free, just to spite those that became corporate monkeys to live a life they could only dream about.

The words were ceased by rushing water, and the contact between their hands were broken by a thought that suspected something grand, something that would fill him with enchantment and Sunan walked forward in long strides, following the noise with his mouth shut. It pulled him in, drawing him closer until the trees stopped clustering around one another, as if leaving space for the spectacle that created such a roaring noise, demanding to be heard, to be seen. Smooth stone and moss were sensations against the bottom of his feet, the noise of his footfalls being silenced as he approached a river that fell, fell down into the air and met a pool of water several feel below. It created shades of white and blue as it crashed against the surface, disrupted any peace in its violent beauty. The air from his lungs were stolen as he was enslaved by the image, his toes curling at the edge of smooth, wet stone that was cut off into a cliff, and he flirted with the possibility of slipping off the edge and into the presumably deep water below. When he breathed in again it was magic that became stitched into his alveoli, and his lips parted, raising his voice to combat the waterfall. "Hey Val, what do you think?" Sunan turned to get a look at his companion, the rays of the sun making him squint, distorting his vision and keeping his smile small, overshadowed by the eminence of nature.

         "Maybe we can practice more after!" Erin said just before they left for the Auditorium.

Kael had no idea what this announcement was about, but he had a good feeling it would at least address what happened in the cafeteria and the old man. Things were getting crazy much quicker than he would have expected before coming to the school and he wasn't exactly sure how he felt about that. "Who knows," he said as the headed to the Auditorium, "maybe we'll get some more practice sooner than we think."

They all piled into the Auditorium and waited as the teachers began to addressed them. There was no buffer or sugar-coating it as they began. "...Icarus Whim is gaining allies..." Kael still had almost no idea who this man was they kept telling him about, but somehow knew that wasn't good news. And now it seemed they were being offered a choice to stay or go. A loud warning went off in his head as he remembered one of the first times the teachers had informed the students of this man. "Icarus Whim is returning. And he seeks his children." To Kael, there wasn't any other option than to fight back. It seemed clear Icarus Whim would find them one way or another. He had never been great at running away.

Kael rose from his seat and headed toward the Gymnasium, eager to get things started.

         Franki smiled and laughed outwardly. "I'm not looking for that," She stated. "I've never wanted to be 'the best'. I just want to learn. The only time I've ever forced myself to be better at something was when I discovered my powers. I had to control it, I almost drowned my brothers."

"If I'm good, I'm good. I'm not looking to be fantastic, or to have this title above everyone else." She stated. "I prefer to be in the shadows. Let others have a chance to shine. I'm okay back here."

She laughed. They were nearing the door to the dorm and she smiled up at him. "Thank you for walking me back," She said. "I really enjoyed myself tonight." She leaned over and pressed her lips to his cheek, too nervous to try anything else.

She pulled away with a smile, a blush running across her nose, and turned towards the door. She waved goodbye and stepped inside. The room was crowded, lots of people chatting and laughing. She noticed the bullies from earlier, the ones that had attacked Tony. She noticed the flutist retreating to the boys' dorm, as they jeered at him calling him "faggot" and "queer".

They turned their attention away from the small teen when they noticed a bag sitting idly on the ground. Wasn't that Erin's bag? Speaking of which, where is my bag? She just now noticed that she hadn't brought it with her when she chased Tony of the common room the first time. She glanced around her, hoping to find it still sitting on the floor by the door.

No such luck.

She could at least get Erin's away from those creeps. She'd come back and look for her bag later. The group of bullies had started digging through the bag, trying to see what secrets they held. Franki simply stepped up to them, and snatched it and it's contents away from them.

She glared at them, her eyes holding pure disdain. She was known to have an evil glare, often times holding the stare for several minutes without blinking. Her brothers hated it, but she used it against them all the time.

These ones cowered away, and Franki made her way to the girls' dorm. There was no one inside, at least that she could see. She found her luggage already sitting at the end of a bed, so she assumed that was hers.

She didn't know what Erin's stuff looked like, so she placed the bag on the end of her bed hoping the redhead would come back soon.

         Walk him back? Wouldn't they just be walking together? Did she think she was his chaperone?

Oh, right. That guy was probably still there.

Tony noticed, though, that her offer wasn't exactly enthusiastic. She didn't even look at Tony when she spoke. At least, not until the end. She had been looking at Kael.

Well, Tony knew when he wasn't exactly wanted. He was used to being overlooked. And if she did walk him back, if the guy saw him with her...well, that wouldn't exactly help things. And he didn't have to sleep in the dorms. Did he? Maybe he'd just wander around until everyone was asleep before sneaking back in. Was there a library? Or he could just take his chances. Get beat up again. Let the stupid lug just finish, and Tony might not have to worry about him for a few days. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time he had gotten beat up. His brothers did it to him all the time.

"I'll....I'll be fine..." Tony mumbled, already leaving. "Good...good night..." he said over his shoulder, though he didn't know if they heard.

As he walked, he realized he was annoyed with how she talked to him. Not just her, but the others too. As if he was so much weaker than them. There was a difference in the tone and the vernacular when someone spoke to him, he knew it. Like how you'd talk to a junior. Almost condescending. He shoved his fists into his hoodie pocket, stretching the fabric. He supposed he couldn't really blame them, though. He was weaker. And he looked younger, he knew that. It was difficult for him to get into R-rated films, and a few theaters had even turned him away despite his ID.

Before he knew it, he was in front of the common room. He sighed, and pulled his hood on, wondering if it would make a difference. How late was it again? It was pretty dark outside...Maybe everyone was sleeping? With an anxious breath, Tony finally pushed through the door.

No such luck. Everyone was in the common room. The hood worked for about a minute before someone recognized him. Tony braced himself for impact.

Instead of a punch, something else was thrown at him. "Hey, fag, about time you showed up!" the big blond guy jeered. Apparently he had resorted to other means of attack, "Where's your girlfriend at? Not here to save your sorry ass?" Tony picked up his notebook from the floor, taking in the many crudely scribbled dicks with weary distaste.

"I don't think it's his girlfriend, Lex. Too queer for that," another boy commented.

"Where's your boyfriend at, then?" Lex called as Tony started for the bedroom. "Where your boyfriend at?" Nearly the entire room was thrown into laughter when Tony tripped over a bag on the floor.

"Man, whose purse is that anyways?" was the last thing Tony heard before shutting the door. A few guys were in the room, but they didn't pay any attention to him. He spent the rest of the night unpacking quietly, tuning out the disturbance next to him by listening to the entire Magic Flute opera on his iPod.

         The youth seemed to be going over what appeared to be the apocalypse by the look on his face. Kael couldn't see any point in delaying and headed to the door back to the stairs and held it open for the other two. He stopped Erin with a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, it'll be fine." He thought he could hear a bit of worry in her voice from before and hoped she wasn't blaming herself. "It's progress, right? Maybe like....creating disaster to prevent a future one." He had no idea what that even meant himself, but hopefully it helped.

He led the way through the halls and stopped at the Micnah common room entrance. "I'll be right back." He left them outside the door and strode through the common room and into the boys' dorm. The bag was still packed and Kael didn't feel like going through it all so he dumped it out on the bed and grabbed up the small medical pouch. He selected two of the pads and headed back out.

"Here." Kael handed the pads to the youth. He stole a quick glance at his hand and it really didn't look that bad. "Just use it like you would a regular WetNap and let the medicine dry. You'll be good as new!" He realized he still hadn't introduced himself yet. "I'm Kael by the way."