| Happy Happy, Joy Joy |
| Summary: | Besa is happy about some good news, and later the happiest girl in school appears — Kaylee! Theo is also there. |
| Date: | IC Date (2018-01-27) |
| Related: | None |
| NPCs: | None |
| Scene Runner: | NA |
| Players: |
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<FS3> Besa rolls Music: Failure.
To say Besa's been in a better mood is a gross understatement. After yesterday's revelation and his talk with Rain this morning, the teen has basically been dancing around the school. Even now, as he clean sup more of the attic, he's singing some song in Arabic underneath his breath as he works. Unfortunatly, he's not singing it for anyone, so it's not very good. But he's happy! Strangly, the way he's cleaning is definitely leaving enough space if anyone else wished to use the attic for anything other than just hanging out. A smear of dust is on his chin from where he wiped it.
Skitter, skitter~.
That would be a few of Theo's tiny white spiders. One of which has a particularly animated set of markings on its bulbous abdomen. It crests the attic steps, and looks one way and then the other, the spots mimicking this. Then it turns to the steps again and waves, and a handful of the other spiders scuttle up.
And of course, following them is Theo! It's not during school hours, so he's wearing his t-shirt, vest with the silver pins, jeans, and hiking boots. He sees Besa and smiles. "Oh, hello there. Happy said you were up here. Mind some company?"
Besa eventually notices the spiders and waves with a smile, "Hello." That's to the spiders. And when Theo apprears, "Hello Theodore. Of course. I am finishing up the attic part of my detention." He's in jeans and a hoodie, all slightly dusty. "How are you today? Any planks for the weekend?"
The spider with the animated face-spots waves back to Besa, the spots forming a distinct happy face. It's actually kind of odd… the spots are almost in constant movement now, much like an actual person's face might be.
Theo doesn't seem to notice this. He smiles when he's greeted, and replies, "Hello there, Besa." He gets the rest of the way up into the attic. "I'm doing well enough. Weekend plans? Not at the moment. What about you?"
Besa's head tilts slightly, wondering about the evolution of Happy. But then Theo arrives, "I may go is it Mrs.Masters and baby Circe for tea tomorrow." IS that a normal thing? It seems to make him happy though, the grin stays. Hands spreading wide, indicating the attic, "I think I am nearing the end. It is looking cleaner, yes?" Cleanrr yes, it will probably never look clean though.
Theo doesn't know the Masters family very well aside from Schuyler and Rain, but he understands basically who that is based on the context. "Ah, that sounds like a good time for the weekend." He smiles. As for the attic? "It does look good," he admits. "You're right, though… it's not a 'lived-in' area, so it's not ever going to look completely 'clean'."
"I will not be there the whole weekend, just for tea." Are they close? "Rain says we're going to go look and see if there's a studio that ha sa kick wheel in town." Is that why he's so happy/ Besa bounces on bios toes, turning to look around the attic. "It is good though. Much better now for meditation, dancing and talking."
"Still, that does sound like fun," Theo replies. As for the mention of a studio, he tilts his head. "A kick wheel? For pottery? Oh, do you work with clay?" That's probably pretty obvious, but it's worth asking. Though Theo chuckles as Besa starts to bounce a bit. "It is. Less chance of getting a step interrupted by a sneeze."
Besa's smile brightens, "Oh yes! I love working with clay. I used to make mugs for the coffee shop. It was how I made any money." He laughs, again, the happy mood shining though. "Yes, no sneezing now!"
Theo smiles. "I'd love to see that. Watching someone work with clay is relaxing, even for watchers. It's just so… primal. You understand what I mean, right? Nothing to 'calibrate', or fiddle around with knobs or buttons or levers. It's all in the artist's hands." There's a chuckle about the no sneezing. "Thankfully. It's hard to look dignified when sneezing."
Besa wipes his hands on his =jeans and steps closer, although he gives Happy another glance, "It is, yes. I find throwing clay to sometimes be more helpful than meditation." Primal, "I….Yes, I suppose so." Maybe that's why Besa's good at it? He laughs, agreeing, sneezing is not dignified at all.
Theo nods. "I've got a couple of routines I do to calm down, yes," he replies. "I suppose it's all in what you like to do." Then a tilt of his head. "forgive me, I noticed this and wasn't sure I should ask. But I've noticed you seem rather more happy than usual today. I'm glad to see this, but is there a reason?"
Besa's not got music playing, but there's a bounce to his step. "I can see that." At the forging part, his head tilts, and he stills until he laughs, "Oh, yes. i am very much happy today. I found out yesterday some people that I am very close to, which I have been worried about, are safe and well. It is a big relief, the worry has been weighing on my more than I knew." He's in a really good mood for someone that was stabbed a week ago!
"Oh, that's definitely good to hear," Theo replies honestly. He seems to hesitate for a moment, and then ventures, "Do you mind if I ask about it? Or is it something you'd rather not discuss?"
Besa's smile stays but again he stills. "It is a complicated situation, but….yes. If you would like to here it. I do not mind sharing with you." The ancient teen moves over to sit down on the cleaned floor, near Happy. "Do you know the circumstance as to how I have powers?" Better sit down Theo, this may be a long story!
When Besa sits down, Happylegs makes to climb up on Besa's knee and settle. Storytime! The other spiders don't climb up, but sit near Besa's knee in a similar position. For himself, Theo sits down near Besa, but not near enough to crowd him. "No, I don't," he admits. "I felt like it woudl have been prying of me to ask."
Besa wiggles a finger at Happy before looking at Theo as he sits. "I was born a very long time ago. I am not certain what the year was, but the stars were aligned to make me the perfect sacrifice to appease an evil." He keeps an eye on Theo, if the story seems too much, he'll stop. No need to scare his friends! "I was raised by my priests, I never knew my birth parents."
Theo settles down to listen. He doesn't seem to be disturbed so far, and he seems to be listening. Theo offers, "I never knew my birth father, either." Not nearly as bad as Besa's case, but he knows a little of what it's like not to know a parent. Other than that, though, he doesn't interrupt.
There's a soft nod about Theo's father. "When I was about this age, I was sacrificed. I went to where ever Alraxmargoth'ha is, I believe it is Hell. And when he tired of me, he sent me back." Happy is glanced at again, thin fingers wiggle again at the spider, but there's a little less excitement about it. "That cycle has gone on for many, many years. Soemtimes I stayed wrapped for a long time, sometimes it was a short amount." His free hand, the one not wiggling for Happy, absently raises and rubs at his chest, near his heart. "The last time I was sacrificed, I had a plan though. Through magic, I was able to bring with my my Khophesh. Myself and others that bye was trotting as well, fought back and killed the demon. But it took many years there, much of my memories have gotten…mixed up." He shrugs softly, sligtjly embarrassed about that. "It has caused many issues with my friends." But there's nothing he can do about that now! "Those that were trapped with me, I have been having dreams about them. Nightmares. i was worried that somehow we failed and they were recaptured without my knowledge. But now i know they are safe, that I have not failed them." He smiles, a touch more sober than when he started.
Besa and Theo are sitting quietly in the attic, Theo listening while Besa tells his story. Theo doesn't seem too afraid about the things Besa's saying, probably because he wasn't there. Besa's leaving out a lot of details, Theo's pretty sure. But he's also pretty sure those details are shop talk — not for outsiders. Happylegs, on Besa's knee makes a… well, a happy face, and then wiggles its front legs back. Though to anyone entering it would just look like Besa's wiggling his fingers at his leg. Once Besa's done with the story, Theo notes, with a smile, "I'm glad they're safe as well."
Happylegs does something odd, though. He hunkers down and… well, kind of 'hugs' Besa's knee. ("Friend is safe, friend is happy!") And in response Theo sighs. "I do wish you'd stop that," he notes, looking at the spider on Besa's knee.
From the bottom of the steps, a voice calls up, "Teddy! Are you up there?" And without waiting for confirmation, footsteps can be heard making the climb as Kaylee makes her way towards the attic. After just a couple of steps, she calls out again, "Oh! Hey, Besa. Are you and Teddy busy? We just found his cellphone in the kitchen so I wanted to bring it to him before it got lost or somebody decided to play a prank on him or anything. Can I come up, or did you guys go up there so nobody would bother you?"
Besa nods, his perfect hair bouncing around like he's in a shampoo commercial, "I am very glass as well. I was very concerned." A soft chuckle at his knee and spider and he lifts a finger to pet the critter. "It is alright, I do not mind." He looks over to the stairs, head tilting again in confusion, "Hello Kaylee. No….why would you not be welcome?" Why would they want to not be disturbed? Oh! She must think they're meditating, "We are just talking. You may join us."
The spider Besa pets has an odd feel to it — fuzzy, but not fuzzy. Ever touched an old tube TV when static was on the screen? The 'fuzz' feels more like he's petting static from a television than fur on a spider. But he does smile to Besa's words. "It sounds like everything turned out for the better, at least. The demon's gone, and most of the people that helped you are safe now. All's well that ends well, yes?"
Theo doesn't initially respond to the call of 'Teddy' — he's never been called that before. But when Kaylee pops her head up into the attic, he turns to look in her direction. He's not the only one, either — unseen by the girl, the five spiders turn to look in her direction with various faces of surprise, one of shock, and one of actual fear. Though none of them actually leave. "Hello there," he greets her. He has an oddly formal tone to his words that might be a bit odd for a teenager.
Kaylee explains what the issue is, and Theo's eyes go a bit wide. "Oh, sh…imatta," he replies, after a hesitation. Yeah, 'shimatta' wasn't what he was originally going to say, that's pretty clear. He stands up and faces Kaylee. "I completely forgot about it at dinner, didn't I? Thank you."
With permission granted, Kaylee bounces up the rest of the stairs, wearing sweats and a loose t-shirt, her hair gathered into pigtails. At Theo's near-swearing, Kaylee snickers a little, grinning but not calling him on it. "It's okay, Teddy. I know a bunch of kids were in a hurry to finish so they could get back to that game or whatever," she says, carrying the phone over to him. She holds it out casually. "Not that it's any of my business or anything, but … is there a particular reason you guys are in the ATTIC hanging out?" she asks, her head making the motion of looking around even if her eyes don't really seem to follow the movements. "I mean, it's not as creepy as you'd imagine, but … still. It's an ATTIC."
It's the only time Besa has ever felt anything like that. Almost like a storm brewing. "I hope so, yes." Mostly. It's the best news he could have gotten, honestly. He smiles softly as Kaylee explains and the phone talk is talked. The ancient teen looks oddly happy. Especially since rumor has it he was hurt (Or maybe he hurt someone) last week and now has detention for like, the rest of the school year. Or something. Besa's dressed in jeans and hoodie, he seems very dusty. "I have been cleaning it." Oh, like that explains it.
Theo accepts his phone back, with a nod. And of course he'll have to check it, make sure no one put anything weird in there or used it for something they shouldn't. Satisfied with that, he registers Kaylee's words. And then he looks at her, and says with a completely straight face, "Where else would we go to make out?" And then immediately after, "No, I'm kidding. Besa was cleaning, and I come up here to practice my dancing."
Besa's response gets a matter-of-fact oh and nod, but then Theo has to go and say that! Kaylee's eyes shoot up for a second, but then when he admits he's just teasing, Kaylee laughs so quick she snorts, and then has to cover her mouth and nose with her hand while she snickers. "Oh my gosh, shut up," she chides, making a face at Theo. "Besa's got way more suave then to take you to the attic to make out," she teases. "But whatever you guys were doing, I'm not here to interrupt. I was just curious about why here. Is cleaning the attic part of your punishment, Besa?" she asks her fellow Promethean.
Besa's head snaps up and he looks spooked. Did he miss something? Wait, what? But then Theo is just joking and he frowns slightly in confusion. He has suave? Sitting on the floor, he just looks between the two students. His small stature isn't helped by being on the floor, "Yes. It is much more acceptable than the shoveling I did earlier in the week."
Theo grins when Kaylee starts to snicker. And for Besa's suave? "Hey, I have more suave than to take someone to an attic for that," he notes. "Besides, I haven't bought him dinner yet." Yes, he's teasing again. Little troll. He doesn't speak up about Besa's punishment, since he doesn't really know much about the actual punishment himself. Just what happened for him to receive it.
He moves to sit down next to Besa again, and then beckons his spiders over. The four on the floor scuttle over no problem, but the one on Besa's knee hesitates. Only long enoguh to 'hug' the knee again, and then it scuttles over to Theo with the others. "How long do you have detention for?" Theo asks, as the spiders crawl up onto his shoulders.
"Pft. You're a freshman. YOU don't have suave," Kaylee corrects, finding something to lean back against so she can cross her ankles. "And Besa, are you putting the moves on an underclassman?" she teases lightly, grinning and winking in Besa's general direction. However, when Theo moves, and then little things move as well, Kaylee's eyebrow quirks. Her eyes start glowing blue for a moment as she focuses, but then just looks more confused. "Teddy … are there … what ARE those things?" she asks. And then, because maybe it'll help, she reaches into the pocket of her sweat pants and pulls out her glasses so she can try and get a better look.
Confused Besa is confused. He tries to ignore the talk, as he's not sure if it's joking or teasing. But he has to answer her, "I have not moved on him?" Instead he again strokes Happy Spider on the back as his knee gets a hug and then answers Theo, "I do not know for certain. I am to have a meeting on monday to see if i learned my lesson." He wrinkles his nose, "I believe they wish for me to turn over my khophesh. I will not."
Theo just grins when Kaylee says he has no suave. "Not yet. I'm working on my fabulous first," he notes. Her question about something being there gets a nod. "You might not be able to see them." And sure enough, if she tries to look with her actual eyes? Nothing. "I have psychic spiders," he explains. "They're really tiny, about that big." He holds up his hand and makes a circle in the air about the size of a quarter.
Besa's words of 'moved on' get a snicker. "We're both kidding, I think." As for turning over his khopesh? That gets a frown too. "Hell no, I wouldn't. These guys are after you, and they can't reasonably expect to be able to protect you all the time. You ought to be able to defend yourself from these lunatics. The faculty couldn't protect the students from the thing that destroyed it. How can they reasonably expect to protect you when there's… how many faculty members now? Three? Four?"
"… I don't know what a khopesh is, but I believe it would fall under personal belongings, if it means that much to you. Or, if it's related to your powers or something? But, I don't know. I'll absolutely try and figure out how to help you keep it, though, if you want? I think the staff kinda trusts me by now, since I do so much volunteering for school stuff. At leat, I think so, anyway," Kaylee offers Besa. And then she shakes her head and smirks. "And yes, I was absolutely teasing, Besa. You're just an easy target because you take everything so seriously. I'm sorry."
At Theo's explanation of psychic spiders, Kaylee peers even closer. And then frowns. Then lifts her glasses, blinks, lowers her glasses, raises her glasses and puffs out air in a 'huh.' "… psychic … spiders. Interesting. … so … if they're psychic … I don't have to worry about accidentally mooshing one of them if I'm not paying attention, do I?"
Besa explains to Kaylee, "It is my sword." More nodding, more pretty hair flailing about, "Yes, I will not give it up. I will decent myself and everyone here. To do that, I need it." Although he looks slightly guilty when the destroyed school is mentioned. He rubs his chest again, near his heart, but acknowledges the apoligie. "Oh…okay."
Theo chuckles a little as Kaylee admits she was teasing Besa. At her words of Besa taking everything seriously, he adds, "And it's cute, too." A chuckle. But the question of squishing the spiders gets a nod. "Yeah. They can just disappear if they're in the way. And one or two of them getting squished isn't going to hurt them. I think there's about fifty of them in total, but they almost never all are on the physical plane at the same time. Or if they are, not in the same place."
Though he notes Besa's frown when the school is mentioned. "I'm sorry to bring it up," he offers. "But those are valid points. There's fewer faculty, and you have people coming after you. They cannot reasonably expect you to give up your only means of defending yourself. I said it last time — I have a feeling these people are going to come after you until you rid the world of them."
Kaylee just rolls her eyes at Theo's continued flirting with Besa, shaking her head and smiling a little. "Oh gosh," she says quietly. But then she listens as Theo explains about the spiders. Her brow furrows a little as she considers 50 little pesties running around. But, if they're PSYCHIC spiders, and not real spiders, and not wont to wind up in her hair or her underwear drawer unannounced and uninvited …. She nods after a moment, having decided they're okay in her book. "Well, that's very interesting, Teddy. And that's a lot of spiders! I can't imagine trying to keep track of them! I can only imagine how distracted I would be most of the time!"
Besa just sighs, more teasing. It's easier to focus on the spiders. Happy gets a soft forced smile before she looks up and shrugs softly, "it is alright. It is just a …not happy memory." And guilt! "I know. I will not give it up. Nor will I let them take me. I am done being used."
To be fair, it's mild flirting. And he sounds pretty serious at least about that part. But yeah, more important things than teasing Besa. Kaylee's mention of keeping track of them all gets a nod. "I don't… really have to keep track of them in an appreciable way. We're sort of… hiveminded together, does that make sense? So I can just 'push off' mental processing power for smaller things onto one of them, and they'll keep track of it. Though I haven't really come to rely on it, hence why I still forget things." A chuckle, since he's talking about the phone.
More serious then, when he considers Besa's words. "I'm glad to hear that. Now that there's no reason to sacrifice you, the only reason they could be trying to use you now is to become immortal themselves. And people who actively power, particularly at the expense of others, are absolutely never the right ones to have it."
A pause then, and he looks at Happylegs as the spider moves down to his arm and waves its front feet; to Kaylee it'll look like he's staring at his own upper arm. "…That's not a bad idea." Looking to Besa, "What about getting a replica of it made and turning that over?" Might be a bit too sophisticated, but it bears suggesting anyway.
With her glasses off, Kaylee can't make out details close enough to know where Theo's looking, nor can she tell what the spider on his arm is doing. So, she doesn't really pay much attention to it. Though, his suggestion does make her frown a little. "So, as awesome as we are and stuff because we have powers, I don't think the faculty are dumb enough to fall for something like that. I mean, if they were, do you think they'd be put in charge of teaching kids like us?" she offers. "Honestly, have they demanded that you turn it in? I don't think they would. I mean, they might make you not carry it with you to class and stuff, since I think that would probably violate the dress code as an unapproved accessory. But, really. I don't see why they'd say you can't have it at all. They ought to be offering to help you practice with it and learning how to use it better. I mean, we have to take combat classes, after all."
Besa agrees. "They may be connected to the attack on my heart last year as well. We do not know all the information yet." Again he smiles down at Happy, "I do not know where I would get suck a fake weapon from? Would they not be able to tell it was not bone?" He makes a soft face, "They have not demanded it yet, but it was suggested. They are upset because I stabbed the priest who stabbed me.' That's not exactly true, but he doesn't share that he kept trying to stab the guy after the first time.
Theo notes, "They only told me about powers classes. I'm taking the 'Introduction' class this year. Maybe they have combat classes for older students, I don't know." As for not falling for the deception? He tilts his head. "Perhaps you're right. But it's worth considering, at least, if there's a way to do it."
And then Besa notes the sword is made of bone. Theo blinks. "It's fully made of bone?" he inquires. This makes him think. "Well… bone is just collagen, held together with calcium. Collagen can be gotten from plenty of other sources. And it'd be easy to make an epoxy mold of a sword."
"Well, Besa, you ARE in trouble. Maybe they will confiscate it for a while. But, honestly, this place is a liiiiiittle different than the school was. Unit 23 lives here and works out of here. And it's got more defenses than just its location being a secret. So, if they make you turn it in for a while, as part of your punishment? I don't think you'd have too much to worry about," Kaylee offers. Kaylee. The voice of reason. Heaven help us all. "But, I think making a fake to turn in is just a worse idea, because when they find out its fake, and I'm saying nine out of ten they're gonna figure it out, then you'll just be in MORE trouble. I've always believed honesty is the best policy. And I also believe we can trust the faculty to be doing what is best for us. I mean, that's why I'm even here, instead of just back at regular school. Because my family and I think that this is the best place for me to be to learn to live with my powers and to do all the like … I dunno. Like, whatever it is that we're supposed to do to make a difference some day."
"Not fully, there is some metal to it." He turns thought to look at Kaylee, still rubbing at his chest, "I will not turn it in. They can keep me in detention or kick me out. It is mine." Besa, the voice of suborn not reason when it comes to being able to protect people. He blinks, but then just bites his tongue. Not everyone has had bad encounters with faculty like he has. "I will figure it out. Thank you both." And with that the ancient teen stands and stretches, "I should go shower. I am very dusty." Happy gets anoterh finger wiggle and he tells them both as he heads towards the stairs, "I hope you have a nice evening."
Theo tilts his head again, first one way, and then the other, at Kaylee's words. "You do have a point, I won't deny that," he agrees. "The problem is, I'm smelling a trend here, and I don't like it. My parents used to disagree over things like this — at what point does 'protecting' become 'coddling'? Besa's a… 'child', quote-unquote." Airquotes! "They're not going to let him protect himself, because " More airquotes! "'Our sweet little children must not know violence'. So I have a feeling he'll never see it again if he turns it over."
Then Besa's making his farewells, and Theo nods. "I honestly think that's a good idea. At some point we all have to learn to protect ourselves, and not just 'one day', all at once, when we are adults and are thrown out on our butts to figure it out for ourselves. It just doesn't work that way." But he nods to Besa's farewell. "I do hope things work themselves out, for what it's worth." A small smile here. "Thank you, Besa. You as well. Sleep well, if you get there before I see you again."
Kaylee sighs and offers Besa a soft wave. "Regardless of how many lives you've led, Besa, right now, you're just a kid. We don't make the rules. Just ask Schuyler," she says. "But I hope you sleep well, too. See you around." She then offers Theo a chagrinned grimace. "And I'm sorry if I ruined your time getting to know Besa. Me and him … kinda oil and water, it seems."
Theo smiles. "That's all right. I'm one of those people who do believe that not everyone can get along with everyone else." He turns in her direction. "Though you are right — honesty is usually the best policy. Until you're dealing with someone who will cheat to win. You can be honest and fair to them all you want… and sure, you'll be the better person. But you'll still lose and they'll get what they want. And what if 'what they want' is 'you to be dead'? I think fair play and sportsmanship are wonderful things. But I also think they're for when lives — yours or others' — aren't in danger."
"I don't think anybody here wants Besa dead. And I think the faculty want that least of all. I mean, think of what that's gonna do for recruiting," Kaylee says, smirking only slightly. "But … it's weird. BEFORE the last time Besa died, I fought like tooth and nail with him over how much he SHOULD fight, and SHOULDN'T die for anyone, and should let us help protect him. But no, he was determined that the best thing he could do would be to let himself be killed. Now, it's the opposite. It's like, 'Besa. Every decision you've made so far has just gotten you hurt, in trouble, and put us at risk. Maybe you should listen to me for once?' It's pretty gosh darn frustrating," she says, shaking her head and folding her arms under her chest.
Theo thinks a moment. "He mentioned that he'd been sacrificed many, many times," he points out. "Perhaps he's just tired of dying for someone else, and wants to stay alive? He's also said that the reason he'd been being sacrificed is gone, and the people sacrificing him still want him for something. All I can think is they're trying to use him to become immortal themselves. And he said that, earlier, he'd been attacked and a piece of his heart had been removed. Mind you, this happened at the school — which I will assume had many more people there who were supposed to have been full adults and fully trained in the use of their powers. Yet it happened anyway. All this in mind, I think Besa's well within his rights to keep his sword on-hand to defend himself."
Of course, Theo's missing part of the facts. He doesn't know that Besa was stabbed and then Besa stabbed the one responsible over and over… He hasn't been told that part. But with the facts he has, that's the only conclusion he can come to.
Kaylee shakes her head. "I WANTED to go and fight the demon that he was being sacrificed for. He just got mad at me and said I didn't know what I was talking about. But, people went and fought the demon, and now he's free, just like I was saying we should do. But … I'm pretty sure he was never attacked while he was at the school. And, if he was, it was because he lets those priests lead him around all the time. It's just … he's just … UGH!" Yes, Besa frustrates Kaylee to almsot no end. She, a bright bundle of nearly unbridled joy that can never be fully extinguished, and he, a sopping wet blanket with perfect hair. "I'm sorry. It's just, I tried so hard to be his friend. I try so hard to be nice to him. But he refuses my friendship, gets mad at me for trying to help, and then people do exactly what I was trying to say he should do, and they're his best friends. And he's ALWAYS SO MOPEY! Everything is always bad news with Besa. And I just …," but then she stops suddenly and claps her hands over her mouth. Her countenance droops lots, and a soft blue glow starts emanating from her body. "Oh my gosh. I'm sorry. Please just forget everything I've said. I really do like Besa, even though we don't get along, and I really should never have said any of this stuff about him ever at all," she says from behind her hands.
"It's all right," Theo says again. "Like I said, there are people who just can't get along." He smiles, and reaches over to pat her on the shoulder. Happylegs actually reaches over, but Theo raises his other hand, waggling a finger at… what looks like his upper arm, and shaking his head. Kaylee can't really see it anyway, but she'll probably realize he's correcting one of his 'little ones'.
But he continues on, "People do things differently. Perhaps his methods and yours don't align. Or perhaps he changed his mind. And you're right, he does seem sad often. He got good news today, though, so he wasn't bad today." Here he grins. "I'm just working on dazzling him out of his doldrums by being fabulous~." He pulls a pose — jazz hands, arched back, head tilted to the side — and grins.
Kaylee sighs and shakes her head a little. "Still. I really really try not to ever say bad things about people, especially when they're not around. So I shouldn't have gone on like that, just becase we don't get along how I'd like," Kaylee explains. "But, I'm glad he got good news. And I'm glad his demon is gone. And really, if he's going to keep his sword against faculties wishes, I hope you don't get involved. There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to defend yourself. But we're a school full of super powered people. A sword is definitely not the best defense we've got around."
Theo smiles reassuringly. "People need to vent sometimes. If you keep everything bottled up, it'll explode out when you really don't want it to. Probably in front of the last person you'd want to hear it. And then you can't take it back. Better to get it out when it's safe, right?" As for the sword? "I could posit that the sword is somehow special. If it's made mostly of bone, that would be a reasonable assumption. Still, it's an assumption, I admit. And, assuming that he WAS attacked at the school, where there were even MORE powered people than there are here, and even that didn't stop it, I'd say he wasn't being completely unfair in thinking the faculty here couldn't protect him. It's true, there's an actual group of supers here, but weren't the staff at the old school legitimately superheroes?" But then, a pause. "That said, perhaps he should take these concerns to the current faculty, even if only to prevent the inevitable butting of heads to come. It's entirely possible that there's additional options they could take if they were aware that Besa was still being targeted."
Kaylee sighs and shrugs and nods. "Yeah … Besa keeps secrets. Secrets don't make friends and friends don't make secrets. So … I dunno. But, regardless, going AGAINST faculty seems like just a really terrible idea. Even if, maybe before they wouldn't have done anything, they've been pretty hyper-vigilant since the school got destroyed. I mean, they wouldn't even let me and my ex stay in the same room anymore, just because she graduated and I haven't, and I was TOTALLY being watched to make sure I wasn't sneaking. So, if they're gonna have so much concern over that? Especially cuz I can kinda be invisible? I don't think anybody's gonna fake them out over a sword. But, I also don't think anybody's gonna be sneaking in to attack us, here. But, then again, I'm also on the faculty's side a LOT, I guess, so maybe I'm just a suckup. I don't know."
<FS3> Theodore rolls Connected: Success.
"I don't think you're a suckup," Theo replies. This is the first thing he addresses, and it's pretty immediate. "You believe everyone should follow the rules. And yes, the world would be a much better place if everyone did. The fact of the matter is, though, that not everyone does. And some of these people who don't follow rules also want to hurt others for their own gain. They won't follow the rules, so they can't be stopped by others who follow the rules."
That said? Theo does seem to agree with Kaylee in one area. "I hope the faculty would be more vigilant," he notes honestly. "I wasn't there, but some of the students who survived are still having nightmares about it. I've been told some are particularly bad. Several students and most of the teachers died?"
Kaylee nodnoddles. "Yeah. There were … dinosaurs. And the flooding. During our winter formal. It was … pretty bad," Kaylee says, the dark purple glow surrounding her indicating that it's definitely not a happy topic. But, the fact that she's letting herself glow means that it's also pretty evident when Kaylee forces the dark thoughts away with a yellow light of sunshine as she shakes her head and straightens up a little. "But, we're getting better. And … I mean, I think maybe I'm just more about following the rules right now because we NEED to follow the rules. We need that stuff to be normal. We need to get adjusted and settled and deal with all of that stuff before we can get back to high school as it should be. I know I've been … I dunno. I guess … I guess I just wanna be a mom for everybody here since none of us have our parents to be around. And so I wanna try and take care of everybody and make sure everybody stays okay. But what do I know? I'm 16. I'm a Junior in high school. And I'm really kind of a spaz, so. I just do the best I can and pray that good intentions and a super cute pouty face will take care of the rest!"
And in response to the dark glow, Theo reaches out again, intending to put a hand on her shoulder for support, a light and gentle touch. "I think I understand," he replies. "My life's been topsy turvy since I got sick, before I got the… well, 'companions'. I would love it if things would go back to 'normal' for me, but… it won't."
And here his smile takes on a teasing note. "Even Mom has to know that sometimes the baby birds need to fly. They might come back to the nest, but when they're learning to fly, they need the skies clear. The hand has to let go of the bicycle seat for the child to truly learn to ride the bike. He's got to do it himself."
Kaylee makes a face and mrrs. "Except Besa keeps trying to ride his bike straight into a bonfire," she glowers. And then she narrows her eyes and peers at Theo before waggling a finger at him. "And you be nice to him. He had it REALLY rough with his ex-boyfriend. So don't you go leading him on or anything. Because he takes it serious. So if you're not seriously attracted to him or up for dating boys, don't you keep flirting with him, Teddy. It's not funny with him."
Despite the subject, Theo can't help but laugh at the flat, matter-of-fact way Kaylee says this first statement. "I'm sorry," he says immediately. "I shouldn't laugh, but that's sort of what we're all doing, I think. 'Self-sacrifice for the sake of others' is supposed to be the Promethean way, yes?" Though then she's mentioning Besa's ex, and Theo blinks. "Oh?" Now he's interested. "What kind of rough time, if you don't mind me asking?"
Kaylee smacks her forehead and shakes her head, groaning. "No! That's NOT the Promethean way. You need to learn more about your Greek mythology," she says. "The point is helping others because it's the right thing to do. It's NOT throwing ourselves on a pyre because there happens to be one nearby. And … well … I mean, it's Besa. It's like the Lego theme song, except it's the opposite. ~Everything is awful, every good thing will be taken from me~," she sing-songs. "It's very melodramatic. At least, that's how it seems to me. But, again, Besa's NOT my friend, so it's just what I can see from the outside."
Theo tilts his head. "Well, Prometheus knew the gods would find out, and he knew they'd punish him, but he gave fire to mankind anyway," he points out. "In his mind, it WAS the right thing to do, yes. But he also did it despite the realization that the gods would find out, and that they'd do something horrible to him. So… self-sacrifice for the good of others." Though he does start to chuckle at the 'opposite Lego theme song'. He hasn't heard it, but he can imagine. "To be honest? I can rather see where he gets that from. Think about it — he's literally lived multiple lifetimes of sacrifice. That leaves a mark on the psyche, even if the actual memories of it aren't there."
"Right. But he didn't sacrifice himself to bring the fire. He brought the fire, knowing it would cost him. The cost was paid AFTER he brought the fire. Besa likes to pay the price before, during AND after. And … I dunno. I think, the more often you killed me? The more I'd come back determined to be happy next time," Kaylee ponders. Then, she grins impishly. "Yeah, just ask Grayson. It's hard to hurt my happy."
<FS3> Theodore rolls Connected: Success.
"You do have a point. But he knew beforehand what he was getting into. So it can be said he also ran towards the pyre," Theo counters. But he does nod. "It's like an abuse victim. After so long they start to believe they deserve it. It's not true, but they believe it. It's the only way they can rationalize it. So… well, give his soul a chance to recover from being killed for who-knows-how-long. Maybe he'll come around." He smiles.
The mention of Grayson gets a blink. "Grayson, Grayson… that name is familiar." Pause, a look at Happylegs. Which does a little dance. It's a pity Kaylee can't see it because it kind of looks like the little thing is dancing to 'YMCA'. "Oh, yes. Rather unpleasant sort, from all accounts. Thuggish, brutish, tends to hurl insults at people unwarranted?" Only what he's heard, mind.
Kaylee shrugs at the first. "More like he knew the pyre was there and went anyway, but I suppose it depends on your point of view." And then, the description of Grayson makes Kaylee smirk again and she nods. "Oh yes, that sounds like him. He also has threatened to kill me if I told anyone, but he writes poetry. Very sweet poetry. And really, I think he's kinda bi, but I really scared him off of girls because he had it in his head that he wanted ME to kiss him, even though I had a girlfriend at the time, and then he got all butt-hurt when I wouldn't. But he's really a sweetie, underneath all the bristles. I'm just afraid he's not around enough for more people to find that out. And I think that's by design," she says. And then she yaaaaaaawns, all big and long, smacking her lips a little afterwards. Not that she'd ever notice she was tired until it was too late, but her player needs to get to bed soon.
"That's possible," Theo notes. A smirk. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you told me." And then a chuckle when Kaylee mentions him being a 'sweetie'. "Perhaps so, that's not unheard of." Wrly, he notes, "But if the diamond is in a pile of poop, it's possible someone might not want to go after it." He winks, to show he's kidding. Though as he notices the yawn, he wonders, "Are you tired?" He looks at his phone. "It is pretty late. At least we're not off the estate grounds, though. And it's Friday, so not staying up on a school night."
"Nnnno!" Kaylee churrs, her brow furrowing. How dare someone accuse the endless bundle of energy of being TIRED! But, the fact that her eyelids have been starting to droop for the last several minutes is probably a strong rebuttal to her protest. It doesn't help that her body has been trying to readjust itself to the lighting at the Estate- she'd spent a year and a half under bright, flourescent bulbs constantly flooding her with power. Now that they're above ground with significantly more natural lighting, she's been receiving that much less juice. But, much like a little kid, telling her she's tired only makes her that much more determined to stay away to spite you. Even if she's yawning again. "Just cuz I'm yawning doesn't mean I'm tired. Just means I'm not getting enough oxygen." Then, her eyes narrow and she wheedles a finger in a circle at Theo, accusing, "I bet you and all your SPIDERS are breathing it! You need to share!" But, the smirk that follows the accusation indicates that she's totally kidding.
<FS3> Theodore rolls Telepathy: Success.
<FS3> Theodore rolls Multitasking: Good Success.
Theo chuckles, and makes to pat Kaylee on the shoulder. Except he's depositing Happylegs there. She shouldn't see it, and shouldn't feel it unless it starts moving around. "I suppose you're right." He chuckles. "That would be me. I don't think they need to breathe. There's not a lot of air on the astral plane, and the natural version of them spends most of its time there, wandering around and nibbling harmlessly on the auras of passing folk."
Why did Theo try to deposit Happylegs there? Because he's thinking of a happy lullaby. Nothing in particular of note, just one he heard while he was listening to music on YouTube once. It's very happy, though. Even if slow and sleepy in tone, since… well, it's a lullaby, it's supposed to be sleepy. It wouldn't be much, but contact with Theo's spiders is how he utilizes his own telepathy. So if he's managed to locate Happylegs on her shoulder, she might be hearing it…
Kaylee has totally not shyed away from any of the shoulder pats, since she's normally a pretty touchy-feely person. But, when she can suddenly sense some soft music after the LAST touch …. She gives Theo a playful smirk. "Why, Teddy. Did you just try and put a spider in my hair?" she teases, her eyes glowing intensely as she tries to focus her spatial awareness to see if she can actually SEE the spider on her shoulder. Which … she can't. But, she can see the little warble of photons the critter displaces, being there, which gives her a rough idea of where he is. She doesn't seem to mind, though. "And really, if you were going to serenade me, I'd expect you to do it proper and from below my window, like in the movies," she adds, smiling.
<FS3> Theodore rolls Sing: Success.
"Not in your hair, no. On your shoulder," Theo admits. "I thought you might object to having one on the head, even if it wasn't going to rummage around in there like most spiders do. they panic. But yes." He reaches over for the spider to walk back onto his arm and sit on his shoulder with the others. Kaylee might feel that, the very small, fuzzy legs of the psychic spider and it crawls off her shoulder.
He chuckles at the mention of a serenade. "Well, I don't know about underneath your window, but…" He looks at his phone again, pressing some buttons to bring up a video. "This will have to do for now." It's a soft, slow piece, yes. But Kaylee will discover that there's no words. Why? Because Theo's actually singing it. He's actually pretty good, kind of a lighter voice for a male. Probably forgivable since he's just a teenager. It's a pretty song, though it's in Japanese, slow but quite intense.
Kaylee lets Theo sing for a little, but then she'll smile, her nose crinkling, and reach out her index finger to stop him. "You. Are. A Flirt," she accueses, winking at him. "But that's a very pretty song. Besa likes music. I don't know if he'll like that, but he might." She straightens up from the boxes she was leaning against, yawning and stretching once more. "But I really should go and make sure people are where they ought to be before the faculty sweeps. Which means you should probably scoot towards yourwing, too, Teddy. But it was good talking to you tonight. Sleep good and I'll see you in the morning," she says, reaching out to give Theo's hair a good rustle.
"…Butts, I forgot about that," Theo notes, to the mention of faculty sweeps. He doesn't want to get detention either. Because, knowing him, they'd assign him to just the opposite tasks as Besa and he'd never get to see him! He nods, and stands up, the spiders disappearing. All but Happylegs. He chuckles at the hair-rustling. And of course fixes his hair, rather needlessly. "Thanks. You too," he offers in return, with a smile.