Nice and peaceful, Nabias offers a great place to start your journey or stock up on supplies before heading out to brave the rest of the wilderness out there. They also have Barakka's largest hospital facility to treat all sorts of injuries you could get out there. (+2 Precision)

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Re: The Boys from Abbadon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 04/22/2015 5:32 AM

His mother was right; he didn't like it but he learned. There was nothing he could do to take it away forever, so the only way to stop it was to learn how, and his mother wouldn't teach that to him unless he learned the rest too. He thought it was a cruel kind of lesson, but he wasn't surprised anymore. After a while, he learned to sleep soundly again without fear of bad dreams, and that was worth something, he supposed.

He didn't tell Heat. What could he say? Heat was still waiting to manifest, and to him the very idea of powers held all the promise in the world. Reaper envied him; he knew what he was getting into and he could afford to be excited about it. Fire was scary, and given the choice, it wasn't what Reaper would have wanted himself, but fire was simple. Fire didn't have strange rules and didn't wake you in the middle of the night to terrify you out of your mind.
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Re: The Boys from Abbadon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 04/22/2015 5:33 AM

And fire couldn't hurt Uncle Torch—- he had asked his mother about it once, worried for Heat, and she had told him. To Reaper, six and saddled with an ability that was more burden than talent, that seemed like the greatest boon in the world.

They went to see Trace and her boys again, but nothing more ever came of it. He was fine, they said, and Reaper was more on guard now. They were always perfectly polite to him, but he hadn't forgotten what had happened. He asked his mother about them too, after. Telepaths, she told him. Special children, being trained by Nihil, who had none of his own.

Nihil. He was a part of whatever they were, but she never called him 'Uncle' for him like she did with all the rest. Even Aunt Feral, who had been a singularly eccentric woman who had visited only once in Reaper's memory, had the honor of the title, but not Nihil. When he asked why, she had jokingly told him it was because Nihil would eat children whole.

Reaper remembered the closet and the depth of his mother's secrets, and privately decided that he didn't want to know.
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Re: The Boys from Abbadon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 04/22/2015 5:33 AM

Months passed, then a year. Sometime in the summer between second and third grade, Heat produced a couple of sputtering sparks from his skin, and spent an entire three days chattering Reaper's ear off about all the cool things he was going to be able to do. “Ember can light her face on fire now! She hates it, but I saw her do it once. I'm going to do that. Do you think I could give Mr Harris a heart attack if I do that during Music?”

Reaper made a face at him. “That's morbid. Why do you hate our teachers so much?”

“They're stuffy, that's why. Besides, we don't know any other grown-ups that'd be scared. All the parents already know my dad can do it,” Heat said, still not even a little bit remorseful. Reaper sighed.

“I guess I should be happy you're not trying to give my mom a heart attack,” he said.
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Re: The Boys from Abbadon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 04/22/2015 5:34 AM

Heat grinned. “Of course not! I love your mom. She's great. Plus then you'd be an orphan, and bad things always happen to those guys in books, huh?” Reaper thought of the freezer. If his mother had a heart attack, he could leave her in there, and call up her ghost and talk to her. The ghosts were real for him. It would be almost the same. She wouldn't be able to cook or hold anything ever again, but she'd still be around.

He shuddered. Even when he could think of a good use for his power, it made him want to throw up. “Yeah,” he said weakly; he hadn't heard what Heat had said next. Apparently it didn't matter. Heat just kept talking in an endless stream of words, always excited, his eyes bright and shining in the sun. Reaper's friend was in a world of his own, dreaming of flames.
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Re: The Boys from Abbadon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 04/22/2015 5:49 AM

But as the months continued to pass, Reaper noticed that Heat's excitement was starting to ebb. At first, he thought it was just the natural course of things. Maybe learning to use it was hard, or there were secrets that Uncle Torch hadn't told anyone about his power too. Maybe fire just wasn't as much fun to play with as Heat thought it would be.

But it was worse than that--- Heat seemed more and more agitated. His antics at school got worse, and when the teachers chewed him out, he didn't crack a grin and make faces at them behind their backs like he used to. Now he snapped right back, getting into arguments with anyone who would pick a fight with him. He was spending more and more time in detention.
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Re: The Boys from Abbadon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 04/22/2015 5:49 AM

Even when he came over, he was often strangely subdued. At one point, when they were eating ice cream and telling bad jokes to each other and giggling, he had stopped suddenly and asked Reaper, “I'm happy right now, right? I'm really, really happy?” Dumbfounded, Reaper had nodded. He had stared at the popsicle stick in his small, sticky purple-stained hand for a while. The stare turned into a glower, which turned into a scowl, until finally with a cry of rage he threw it out at the lawn.

It burst into flames as it sailed through the air, and Reaper had yelped in surprise and hurried forward to stomp it out before it could set the lawn alight. When he turned back, he found Heat curled up with his knees against his head. Nothing Reaper said or did would make him come out. He stayed like that until his father finally came to pick him up, and he didn't say a word as he walked away. The next day, he had been at school, but he spent the entire time staring out the window before hurrying straight home once the last bell rang.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 04/29/2015 6:47 AM

Lunches were getting awfully lonely.

Reaper sighed and picked at the contents of his lunchbox. Heat was in detention--- again--- and had to eat lunch in the principal's office, which left him alone in the classroom with his food. There was nothing for him to do but eat, and yet he just... didn't have any appetite. It was no fun sitting like this alone, and Heat's absence only served to remind him of the way his friend had been lately.

He was surprised when someone sat down next to him. “Hey Reaper!” It was Destiny, greeting him with a jaunty smile and a wave. “This seat's empty, right? We can sit here?”
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 04/29/2015 6:47 AM

She was already sitting, but there were others standing behind her: Nova, Ariel, and the boy from Aunt Trace's house--- Cain--- who was two years above them. Come to think of it, Ariel was in the grade below them too. Destiny sure had friends all over the place, even if they were still aunt-and-uncle children.

“Sure,” he said without much enthusiasm. Honestly he didn't really want to eat lunch with a crowd, but no one else was going to sit there. How could he say no? Not long after, Glass joined them too, taking a seat next to Nova. The two looked pleased to see each other, which just made Reaper sigh for what seemed like the millionth time that day.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 04/29/2015 6:48 AM

That earned him a look from Cain; Reaper was startled to find himself catching Cain's eye and looked hurriedly away, pretending to suddenly be very fascinated by his food. He hadn't forgotten the incident, nor had he forgotten the fact that Cain and his siblings could read minds. Was he being read right now?

“Don't worry,” Glass said. Reaper looked up at her uncertainly. Glass's face betrayed nothing, and its impassivity seemed almost like anger or displeasure, but her voice was not unkind when she said, “He doesn't read people if he can help it.” She inclined her head toward Cain. “That's what you're worried about, right?” Reaper nodded sheepishly and said nothing. Still, he was relieved to hear it.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 04/29/2015 6:49 AM

Ariel piped up too. “Apparently he doesn't like listening to people. He says it's not much fun.” He had taken the seat at Reaper's other side, and now he flashed Reaper a grin. He was such a small, dark child. His eyes were owlish, almost too big for his face; even his voice was high. He looked as if he ought to be younger than he was, but then he turned his attention to his own food, and Reaper discovered that little Ariel ate like a fiend. Mouthful after mouthful of rice disappeared into his mouth, his cheeks ballooning comically. He noticed Reaper's scrutiny and tried to smile again, but couldn't do it.

“So,” said Destiny, “where's your friend? Is he in trouble again?” Something about the question made Reaper's insides knot up. It wasn't that she was being awful about it. She just seemed curious, maybe a little concerned.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 04/30/2015 7:09 AM

It was just that... He looked away. “Detention,” Reaper said quietly. There was no use hiding it; anyone else they asked could tell them, and anyway it was the truth. It was just, Heat wasn't a bad kid. Reaper knew he wasn't. He didn't know why Heat was doing all this, but there had to be a reason.

Destiny rolled her eyes. “Ugh. The teachers are the worst, huh?” she said. Reaper glanced up at her, a little puzzled. She jabbed her fork into her spaghetti with particular vehemence. “They think we can't tell when they're singling us out, but we're not stupid. I never get into trouble at home, but here it's detention this, detention that. Detention every day.” She puffed out her cheeks adopted a cantankerous expression, waggling her finger exaggeratedly at Ariel, who giggled.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 04/30/2015 7:09 AM

Cain shook his head. “You don't get in trouble at home because of your dad, Desi. I don't think he ever says anyone's in trouble.” Cain, who had looked so stern and sober when Reaper first saw him at Aunt Trace's house, felt like a completely different person here. Maybe it was because he was with his friends, but his expression warm, his features softened by the affection in his eyes. Some of the wariness returned whenever he turned his attention to Reaper, but it was still better than before.

“My dad's a wise man,” Destiny said, not in the least hindered by this reminder of her father's character. “Besides, they gave Nova detention before. What's he ever done?” Cain couldn't say anything in response to that, falling quiet with a small sigh.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/03/2015 12:43 AM

“Anyway, it's obvious they just don't like us. Don't worry if they send you. They're just jealous that we're special,” Destiny said airily. This time when she smiled at him, Reaper offered a tentative smile back. He had been uneasy when they first sat down, but now he felt better, buoyed by their camaraderie. He didn't know them all that well, but Destiny was right, they were in the same boat.

The conversation soon moved to more mundane matters, and to his surprise, Reaper found himself being asked for his opinions. He had expected to fade quietly into being ignored, but Destiny in particular seemed to make a point of including him in their chatter. By the end of the lunch break, he had almost forgotten about Heat's detention. The realization struck him as he saw his friend marching sullenly back into the class, and he felt a sudden stab of guilt.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/05/2015 5:24 AM

Reaper's gaze followed Heat all the way from the classroom door to his seat. He tried a smile as Heat flopped down into his chair. Leaning forward and bracing his arms against the desk, he said, “Do you want to come over today? My mom got the new Dragon Summoners movie.” He winced inwardly at himself; he sounded forced and over-eager.

Heat didn't even look at Reaper. He just sighed and crossed his arms on the desk, putting his head down on top like he was going to sleep. Reaper faltered a bit at the rebuff, but he swallowed and tried again. “Or we could, um... Oh! We never finished building that castle last time. We could do that. Or we could play Rollaby Racers. You still haven't taught me how to do the wheelie trick.” Heat continued to ignore Reaper, not even bothering to so much as acknowledge him.
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Re: The Boys from Abaddon [self, L, maybe G]

Postby crow » 05/05/2015 5:24 AM

Valiantly, he tried one more time, putting his own head down on the desk with his face turned to Heat. “What's wrong? Did they say something to you in detention?” he asked. “Did... Did something happen?” His voice was small now, and his hands clutched at his knees beneath the desk. “Come on, Heat... Say something, will you...?”

Heat made a muffled noise that might have been words, and Reaper perked up. “What did you say?” he asked.

Heaving a big sigh, Heat turned his head ever so slightly so Reaper could see one of his eyes. That eye glared balefully at him. “Go away,” Heat said. With that, he turned away.
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